Gelukkig Sinterklaas!

ByJohn Brown

I’ve got about 20 folks in The Netherlands and Belgium who visit this site regularly. I just wanted to say I hope you wonderful kaaskops and frites find your shoes full of good gifts this Sunday! 

For those who don’t know, folks in the low lands celebrate Sinterklaas on the 6th of December and Sinterklaasavond (Saint Nicholas eve) the night before.  The name is a contraction of Sint (Saint) Niklaas (Nicholas). Yes, the real Santa. In America we give gifts on Christmas. But the Dutch and Belgians do gift giving on Sinterklaas. Christmas is a more religious celebration.

However, Nellie and I figure we can catch Santa coming at the first of the month AND going at the end (no need to miss any opportunity for presents), so, of course, we will be putting our shoes by the door Saturday night. Hopelijk zal Sinterklaas niet stilletjes ons huisje voorbij rijden.

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    What superpower would you rather have–flight or invisibility? What do others choose? Why? What does it say about you?

    Want to hear about a gal named Zora who, as a teen, made a list of everything that a superhero would have to know how to do, things like flying helicopters and diffusing bombs, and then set out to do it. Zora finished her list, btw. She’s a bounty hunter now.

    You can hear this right now on  This American Life episode 178: Superpowers .

    It’s a fabulous hour-long program.

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  • Cats and monsters

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    My second-to-youngest daughter came in the house telling me that there was a huge line of ants out in the garage.

    “Because there’s poop,” her younger sister says.

    I groan inside. Cats. There’s the whole wide world and a litter box to boot. They have to do it on the garage floor?

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  • Epigenetics

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