Saturday - Netherlands

All along I knew that Edna was quite a character (who wouldn't be with a face like that), but I did not expect her to have the capacity to build a conspiracy.

Let me explain. My sister Klasien loves bright colors: lovely greens and blues all flow together and there is so many pretty things to see in her home! My sister also loves parakeets: tiny little birds who live in a cage and who get to fly around the living room every now and again. Last year when I came, a parakeet by the name of Liefie (Sweety or Honey) used to fly around the house and to be honest with you, it frightened me. All the flapping and fluttering right around my head and ears made me want to flap and flutter my hands and that could have deadly consequences for a tiny bird. But, you know, I was brave and got used to Liefie, and she even accepted me in the house. Some time during last year's summer, Liefie was unfortunately chased and caught by a neighbor's cat. Yes. Very unfortunate.



Klasien decided she wanted another parakeet, or actually two: Elsje and Simon live now with her, two beautiful parakeets. Elsje is mostly green and weighs all of one and a quarter ounce and Simon is green with a little bit of blue and weighs in at exactly 1 ounce. Here is Simon on my shoulder rather peacefully.

When I arrived on Wednesday all was well. They were excited about my arrival, that's all I could see and when Klasien let them fly on Thursday, I was ok with it and dealt well with the dive bombs... Those two birds fly like torpedos! I tried not to walk in their fly zone for fear of massive collisions. Here they both are picking at my shoes and pants.

Well, some time on Friday, the tide turned on me. The excitement about my arrival died and a certain attitude surfaced in the birds... While I was making lunch in the kitchen, they started seriously interfering in my bread and cheese routine! They sat on my plate, picked at my food and had an overall very challenging look in their eyes. I tried to make them go away, but they did not follow my suggestions, they just decided to retreat a little bit and make an awful lot of noise while I finished making lunch. I got out of that kitchen as fast as I could. And that was only the start of things. In the evening I was back in the kitchen (one must eat again), and a full attack took place with Elsje being the fanatic. I stood by the counter minding my own business, when she flew in like a kamikaze pilot, landed on my right shoulder and viciously started picking at my right ear. I screamed, she flew away and landed on my right hand, bit me there, back to my ear and bit again... I was screaming and flapping my hands, but trying NOT to hit the bird as I knew that that would have devastating consequences. Klasien came to my rescue: she caught the bird, put her back in the cage and spoke reassuring words to her. After I had calmed down, we decided that it was either hormones and Elsje was in a serious state of PMS or something or she was plain jealous of all the attention I was getting.

This morning, I woke up and found Edna next to the cage. Who would have thought?!??!!!!

I knew it was time to leave. I packed my bags pronto pronto, and went with Reinie and Ab to my oldest sister Hannie and her husband Hijmen in Rotterdam for another birthday party. Together my sister and brother-in-law are 125 years old on Monday (Hannie's birthday was April 25 and Hijmen's birthday is May 3). It was really nice to see Hijmen's siblings after a very, very long time, as well as some of Hannie and Hijmen's old friends! And of course there was the bowl (same recipe as Reinie's) and this time pasta salad.

I went to bed in Rotterdam at about 10:30 pm with the reassuring knowledge that there were no birds here; only two sweet, geriatric cats. I rested my head in peace.