Happy Halloween

Some of you who know me personally, know that my hubby is working over in Europe for a few months.  If you aren't aware, it means you have been on Facebook with the same frequency as me.  ( close to never). He will be leaving Germany today and heading over to Amsterdam for a few days, then back to Germany then onto Paris.  

Anyhow...I decided to get into character for my own upcoming trip over to Germany and the Netherlands.   I haven't quite mastered any of the foreign (well..foreign to me) languages yet but I am great at universal sign languages.

 Not only have I practiced extensively on my sign language but have also taken to driving on the wrong side of the road to get a feel for it.

Note to Overland Park, Olathe and Leawood Police Departments...Hey guys!   You have missed more than a few opportunities to issue "improper lane usage" tickets.  I am just curious if you guys are OK? 

My long time readers might remember my husband is Dutch. His Grandparents (on both sides) brought their families over to the U.S.  and settled in an area of Illinois where several other Dutch families had settled. Then they all set about marrying each other and having a few hundred kids.  My husband being one of those kids has 100's of  Dutch Aunts, Uncles, and cousins.    For those that aren't familiar with some of my previous stories...let's just say that 1st and 2nd generation Dutch aren't keen on their kin marrying 1st or 2nd generation hillbilly...errr..I mean Irish that happen to have ties to the South.  While things have loosened up nearly 50 years later, it used to be that Dutch people were highly encouraged to  marry Dutch people. 

 BUT...Over the following 42 years,  I have worn them down.  I am the acid rain that chips away at their porous limestone.  I have gone from not being allowed to hold my babies within the Dutch church to being able to be buried in their cemetery. Yep, there is going to be one little Irish lass layin' among the resident (albeit dead) Dutch. Talk about making big strides in ingratiating myself.   But, it's sort of a  shame really, that for total inclusion, I have to die.  But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.   (BTW....I came to really like his family and assume they reciprocate on most days.)

As to my upcoming trip...I have, in fact, been to both Germany and the Netherlands before but not for an extended period of time, nor have I gone to the area of the country where his relatives still live.  I think maybe that sign language might come in handy. 

So for today...Crabby Pants and I are morphing into being more Deutsch-like  wishing everyone here:

And to hubby...over in Germany/Netherlands: