Sunday, March 02, 2008

10 - 20 - 30 Procastinators Unite!

I was tagged like a million years ago for this 10 - 20 - 30 years meme by K & A's Adventures

I loved the idea, and I was set on doing it just perfect. I knew exactly which pictures I was going to include. (Well, kind of) I was composing the stories in my head. I was going to have the best 10 - 20 - 30 post EVER!

Then life happened. Bread had to be baked. Snow had to be shoveled. Kittens had to be kicked off the table. Blogs had to be read. Did I mention the snow? Or the snow? Yeah, I thought so.

Today, life is still happening, but I am going to do this one thing on my 'List of Things To Do Urgent' and write the blog post. It won't be perfect. It won't have pictures. But it will be there.

Ten Years Ago

Ten years ago, it was 1998 (my mathematic talents are quite amazing, aren't they?) Jane was seven months old, and we had the perfect family of two boys and two girls. I had just quit my job at IBM in Vermont, and my husband had found himself a job. The INS ran out of working visas at a bad time, so he couldn't start his new job till October.

We spent most of 1998 in the Netherlands waiting for the visa, where I worked at Bose in Edam. It was an enjoyable way to spend eight or nine months. I could visit friends and family. I could eat Dutch food (hagelslag! drop!) I often took the kids to Artis, a big zoo in Amsterdam and still look back fondly on those times.

Twenty Years Ago

1988. I was in my last year of college to get my Master's Degree in Computer Science. This was Delft University of Technology. It was just a tad male dominated. I don't remember the exact numbers, but we had something like two hundred first year Computer Science students in 1984, and maybe ten of them were female. It was a good time, much fun, many friends, and I even got some studying in. This is where I met my husband.

Thirty Years Ago

1978. I was in my last year of elementary school. It was a small, Christian school, maybe 25 students per year. The Talmaschool in Dordrecht. I walked to school every day, and we had tons of freedom to explore the neighborhood. I would disappear for hours every afternoon, roaming around with my friends. Those were the times. I still thought I would never have any kids, and my husband was going to be a househusband, since *I* sure wasn't going to do any stupid housework!

Fun to look back so many years and think about myself as a little girl who knew everything. Some day I will add pictures, but for today, just the entries will have to suffice.

Hmmm, I guess I need to tag some others, and I don't even remember who did this already and who didn't. So I will just close my eyes and point at some people, and hope for the best. That's how I select kids for chores at my house, so could as well use it here too. Veganbaby, simply mama, Wendy, meritt, and flyingfisher, you are it! Now go visit K & A.

1 comment:

Me said...

You know, I'm starting to like meme's because it really does make you take time to stop and think about yourself, your life, your history, your likes, dislikes, fears and more.

I may take your challenge on this one as it's quick and easy and doesn't have too many rules! LOL.

PS: I'm so in love with the thought of living overseas for a bit - but with a job or a 'safety net' in place. You've been blessed.