"Small is beautiful"

Looking out of the Oaktree Window I see the dark silhouette of our Gardian against the blue grey evening sky. We welcome the rain at the end of this near springtime day. This fresh watering of the rather dry hillside soil is needed for all the new green and blossoms to flourish. A bit more showering would really be nice. In return the terrace will be given a springtime cleaning. So that we might sit together there in our deck chairs when Mischa is coming to join us here at the end of next week.

There was no sunset to admire today, as there was a very spectacular one yesterday. Even this morning Aurora didn’t show up. So around midday we drove down to town. And there we took our time to walk and look around and photograph. Eventually finding new corners, vistas. Beautiful blossom trees. Along the waterless harbour, the main canal and the southern Weser riverside, rounding up our tour with a visit to St. Michaels Church.

On the go I freely walked into the main entrance porches of the great baroque style houses and warehouses or the old Veterans House (Invaliden Haus 1704-1710). That silence in the inner court garden: one big Magnolia between budding and flourishing. Ages passed after this became a resting place for the wounded and mutilated soldiers and officers of the mercenary- ”Hessen” -regiments who fought for the British in the War of Independance.

As we climbed up to St. Michaels Church, we saw a long narrow vegetable garden with a beautiful shabby shed at its end. Covered by fresh blossoming trees. This symbolizes very well what we practically meant by “small is beautiful” as we build our lovely, living, working-life in a country village near Utrecht in the seventies. Not long before Mischa was born.

There was the garden of healthy grounded living not far from a spiritual centre. That’s what we started to build again here in “Carlsheaven” as we had to leave our dear old dutch village. That’s how our and Mischa’s dream will ultimately become true, grounded under the Gardian Oak with a new timbered Hut under the uphill trees.