Dutch Life : Little Rebels

Tulip Time : Day 9

Tulip Time is done, and what a week it was.  Beautiful! Because I have a few extra images for this series that I finished, I'm posted them here.  These are my little rebels.  I actually paid them for this series... Adding to their lego kit savings funds.  They are all getting great at acting, and might be able to use that in the future.  When I started the Wacky Williams Series, I had a book full of ideas, and ran through them quickly.... I thought I'd have to end the series, for a lack of more ideas.  I found that was quite the opposite!  The older they get, the more they can do, and the more ideas I get!  I'm not sure how long a series can continue, but I may never get to all the great images I see in my mind. 

Fun Fact : Planning for Tulip Time 2018 will start in about 1 month!  The tulip lanes will be replaced with annual flowers, and all the parks and gardens will be beautified with summer flowers and plants. 

This image is the railing of the DeZwaan windmill with the tulip fields behind them on Windmill Island, and NO, my children did not walk on it!  They didn't even come to the island with me to photograph it. 

Every image in this series was 'Created' not photographed.  Meaning, my kids were safe in the studio for their photos, and backgrounds and props were shot separately and composited in.  I used techniques I learned over several years of photography and photoshop workshops.   I hope you enjoyed this Series.  If you did, Please Share this on Facebook so more people can learn about the Dutch Life and Tulip Time! 

Stay tuned next week for the 'Behind-the-scenes' of the series :) 

"Street Performers"

www.awakenedimages.com . David & Cara Williams . awakenedimages@yahoo.com . check us out on facebook!

Dutch Life : Story Time

Tulip Time : Day 8

Tulip Time is almost over!  The Muziek Parade (music parade) brings many festivities to a close this week.  School bands from all over Michigan will walk.  About 170 entries (4000 people) walk by on the longest parade route of Tulip Time. 

 This image is of my sister with my kiddos.  They love her kindness, and energy she shares with them.  She gives of her time, as a second 'mom' for them.   We also found that my little girl looks more like her than like me at times :)   My sister and daughter have the same costume.  

Fun Fact : Dutch Costumes represent a province of the Netherlands.  My boys are sporting the Achterhoek boys costume from the province of Gelderland.  It is the 'rich boy' costume, with a fancy vest and silk red scarf.  

My little girl wears the Isle of Marken costume, from the province of Noord Holland.   Her red and yellow split vest would indicate she is orphaned.  Her skirt is shorter, hinting that she probably was big into fishing, and walked into the water more often then those with longer skirts. 

 Their costumes are handmade, (by my mom) and many of the costumes cost upwards of $250.   Dutch Costumes have a very strict pattern and fabric options.  My mother has made us a costume every year that we couldn't fit into the previous years.   Girls often wear the men's costumes, since the majority of the men in the community don't fancy dressing up in them.  The costume worn by my little girl was likely worn by me at her age as well.  (although with 3 sisters, I'm not sure exactly which costumes I wore each year.)  Some people think we wear these all the time, but that's a myth.  These are special authentic costumes pulled out for just the weeks surrounding Tulip Time.  Although, wooden shoes are great for farm work and gardening, and will occasionally be used more of the year. 

There are 12 provinces of the Netherlands, and the Tulip Time festival has costumes representing 8 of them.  

www.awakenedimages.com . David & Cara Williams . awakenedimages@yahoo.com . check us out on facebook!

Dutch Life : DeZwaan Windmill

Tulip Time : Day 7

The De Zwaan Windmill still is a working Mill.  Some Windmills handle water control around the Netherlands with all their dikes.  This windmill was shipped over piece by piece, and recreated here on Windmill Island.  It is a Flour mill.  This was taken in the room with the grinding stone in the background.  Tourists can tour the windmill and purchase flour made by the windmill.  

Fun Fact : The oldest windmill still standing in the Netherlands, was built before 1451, the Zeddam tower mill in Gelderland.   The sails of the windmill were positioned strategically to relay messages.   Some during times of war, and others to relay a message of a death in a family or a celebration. 

The DeZwaan windmill, (meaning "Swan" or "graceful bird") built in 1761 in Krommenie, Netherlands, was moved to Holland, in 1964.  It was damaged badly in World War II.   There are scars from bullets still present, and it was a hiding place for some soldiers who have come to visit her and pay her honor.

www.awakenedimages.com . David & Cara Williams . awakenedimages@yahoo.com . check us out on facebook!

Dutch Life : Kinder

Tulip Time : Day 6

The Kinderparade is the parade of children.  

 All the elementary schools from the area participate.  Children of all ethnicities dress in the Dutch costumes and show off their school artwork, while carrying it through the parade.  This image is to show that playing is part of life, and Dutch kids are like any other kiddo... They play hard, work hard, eat hard, and are a blessing to their families.  This was taken on the second floor of the DeZwaan Windmill on Windmill Island.  You can see all the old tools displayed on the wall, since the purpose of the windmill is to be a museum and does occasionally still grind Michigan Wheat into Flour.  If the windmill is spinning, it means the miller is there making flour :) 

Fun fact :  Dutch last names were a bit of a joke.  My maiden name was De Visser, which means 'The Fisherman'.   Here's how the Dutch got their last names......

 In 1811, the French under Napoleon occupied the Netherlands. They started having a census for the purpose of taxation, and forced everyone to have a family name, which was not a common practice for the Dutch.The Dutch thought this would be a temporary measure, and took on comical or offensive sounding names as a practical joke on their French occupiers. Some examples are:

• Suikerbuik (Sugarbelly)
• Spring in t Veld (Jump in the Field)
• Uiekruier (Onion-crier)
• Naaktgeboren (Born naked)
• Poepjes (Little shit)
• Schooier (Beggar)
• Scheefnek (Crooked-neck)
• Rotmensen (Rotten people)
• Zeldenthuis (Rarely at home)
• Zondervan (without a surname)
• Borst (breast)
• Piest (to urinate)

I can imagine the Dutch standing in line to register and having a few laughs at the expense of the French officials, only to have the name stick to them and their descendants for centuries. There were also some names that are not demeaning, rather aggrandazing

• De Groot (The Great, The Large One)
• Den Beste (The Best)

Similarly, some were just attributes

• De Jonge (The younger)

My family will have two Amphi-cars (water cars) driving people through this parade, and a pontoon boat, for our kid's school's preschool and kindergarten classes to ride on.  Tulips are required to be on every float in the parade, and are provided by the city of Holland.  

www.awakenedimages.com . David & Cara Williams . awakenedimages@yahoo.com . check us out on facebook!

Dutch Life : Street Scrubbing

Tulip Time : Day 5

Yes, you read that correctly. Street Scrubbing.

Fun Fact :  The Dutch would scrub their streets clean before a festival or important visitor.  Taking brooms, buckets and yokes to carry the buckets around, they would clean their streets.  On the Wednesday of Tulip time, we scrub the parade streets.  It usually ends up being a huge water fight, but it's fun to see all the families coming out to clean the streets of Holland to be ready for the parades.  

Today is the Volksparade (People's Parade).  

School bands come and play, sponsors, and government officials ride on floats or special cars in the parades.  

My family has participated in Tulip Time almost since Holland started celebrating the flower festival in 1929.   My Great Grandma, Grandma, and Mom have worked for, and participated in the Tulip Time festival planning and organization... Many of my family are in the parades... walking or driving special people through in my grandpa's fancy old cars.  Schools have a 1/2 day so the children may attend the festivities. 

www.awakenedimages.com . David & Cara Williams . awakenedimages@yahoo.com . check us out on facebook!