The word for homeless in Dutch is “Dakloos” which literally translates to “Roofless”. Since I lost my only home in the shipwreck I qualify for homeless status. But I have no worries in finding a roof over my head. Thanks to the generosity of friends and family and total strangers, at first. Besides shelter I am also overwhelmed by the material and moral assistance, love and friendship I have received in the last months. I count my blessings but it is easy to lose track when it is poured out in such generous amounts.

Yesterday I received the Newsletter from the web site for the neighborhood I grew up in and it lists an article I had sent in about a picture I discovered in the portfolio of a young Ukranian artist that was painted of a spot that held very special memories of my growing up in the old neighborhood.see:

http://www.geheugenvanplanzuid.nl/index.php/nieuwsbrieven/435-nieuwsbrief-37

I mailed the link to the young lady Helen (Elena) Prokopovich and she responded that her visa had run out in Holland and that she is back in her home country. Which right now is a war zone. And she writes that she has a new web site www.prohelen.com and that she wrote about the way we met in her blog at :http://www.prohelen.com/?tag=schinkel She wrote it in English and I’d like for you to read this. These encounters make this “homeless” life so sweet. Dyakuyu! Spasybi! Elena.

I promised you in my last week’s “Where is jack?” mailing that I’d let you know what was in store for me on May 3rd. I found out yesterday. My oldest son, John, is getting married to Jennifer Bondurant in Yucaipa, California. They met when they were still in college. Jennifer has family roots in the Netherlands and the French connection, so, what more could I ask for? I’d nearly given up hope, John will turn 43 this year. Now I have one more son to go and he’d better hurry up because his grandnephew just turned 6……

In my previous blog I asked for suggestions from you for a title for my current writing project. T0day I found out that I have till Feb 7 to have a title and a cover for the book if I wish to place an add in the April “Zeilen” issue, in which my article will be published about “Fleetwood” ‘s shipwreck. I nixed the “Come to Sea” and “Kom naar Zee”. Help, help!

I had a wonderful weekend visit with my cruising friends the Boonzaaijers of “Yo Soy” and their community the “Bondgenoten” in Barneveld. http://www.bondgenoot.nl/ Another couple we mutually befriended in the South Pacific in 2005 also joined us, Sjef en Ermi of the “Vierde Dimensie”. I showed slides of the journey on Saturday evening and my #1 sales agent Maria B. twisted 6 customers from the audience for “De Mastmakersdochters”. Stephan B. led the church service on Sunday morning.

Here are a few pictures of my buddies here in Eck en Wiel. The two cats. The red tomcat “Mickey” and his lady friend. They like to jump on the table and tiptoe over the laptop’s keyboard.