The Martinitoren

Remember when I wrote about my Aunt and Uncle's house

burning

and how they lost the Martinitoren Cross-sticth that My Opa did

and then how we found out that it was spared.

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My Opa and Oma have 8 children

and my Opa

(who lived to be 91)

made 9 of these -

one for each child

and one for his beloved wife, my Oma.

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They are very detailed and intricate -

much careful work went in to them.

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My Mom,

when I asked her if I could show my blog community Opa's work,

said of course

and so I am showing you now.

These are some of the real treasures of our family;

I spent a good bit of time today

photographing the various things that

make up the stories of my family

and express the Dutch culture that we are from.

My Opa's Martinitoren.

My Oma and Opa lived in Groningen

before they immigrated from Holland to Canada

after World War II.

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Many people from Holland immigrated to Canada

after the war.

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My Opa was a Sargent in the war

and God preserved his life during this time.

My Opa

years ago also did wood working;

this is a spoon rack that he made.

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My Mom has had it in our house for many years.

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Having been Orthodox for a few years now

and being in houses of immigrants from

Slavic countries

has made me more aware of the importance of the items

that make up one's culture and story.

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The beauty, intricacy and insistence on good craftsmanship

(if my Opa's work had a flaw he would start over;

this commitment to beauty is hard to find now)

is important for us to see.

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When I think of my family

and see all the beautiful family things

I am overwhelmed by the riches of it all.

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It is so good to be awake to what God has given;

it is too easy to fail to see it.