so, everyone who celebrated Halloween, are now going to get ready for Christmas, we don't have Halloween in Holland although the shopkeepers are trying very hard to get the people interested, we do have something simular though, St. Maarten on Nov. 11. kids go round with lampions and come to your door singing St.Maarten songs and when they have finished singing, they get sweets, there can be groups of 10 to 15 children ,always with adults , lovely those little faces all expecting to get something nice and they always get a tangerine, but don't be surprised when one or two tell you ,thye don't want that, rather have an extra bag of sweets. !!!

and then of course there is the St Nicolaas eve that's on Dec.5th.,

http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/santa/dutch_tradition.htm

St Nicolaas arrives in Amsterdam by boat from Spain with his d'apple horse and his black Peter helpers., he'll be in Lelystad on Nov. 22nd.

St.Nicolaas and his Black Pieten !!!

also in December is my birthday and 3 of my friends, (11 Monica, 13 mine , 14 Marga ,16 Tilly.).

and then at long last, there is Christmas, first one without my Ken, I'll be on my own for one day, but I don't mind that, and one day i'll spend with my friend Coby.

now I'll have to get on with my card making
speak to you soon again.
Henny