2010 Reflections

Christmas and Year 2010 reflections

Another year has flown by and here I am again New Years day reflecting on the year that has passed. I feel like I am writing the last of the three books of the Swedish writer, Wilhelm Moberg, ‘Emigrants’, ‘Immigrants’ and ‘New settlers’. Sitting in our own home, looking out on our own garden. What a feeling. It felt nice and special to celebrate our Christmas here, and we had a nice cold white Christmas. I remember all they years I went looking at my furniture stored at our family’s cottage, and wondering if, when and where they would find their final spot, and now I have landed, and digging down roots.

Berge Veterinary Consulting and Professor Berge
This year was a bit slow on the work front. I guess I was hit a bit of the financial recession too.
I have expanded my consulting services to now include the Baltic countries and Russia. I enjoy working with Eastern Europe and I feel very lucky to work with businesses and farmers in all different situations and countries. In August I participated in the European Association for Animal Production on Crete for a week. A very nice place for a conference, and I enjoyed the conference as well as the placing.
I became guest professor at the Ghent University early 2010, and this is a nice position that allows me to keep a foot in the academic scientific world, while working in the real world with the animal agricultural industry. I assist Prof Jeroen DeWulf with his graduate students and their research projects. Jeroen and I co-chaired a meeting in the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance at the annual meeting of Society for Veterinary Preventive Medicine that was held in Nancy, France.

Biking
In early spring I was training hard for some ultra rides. The early winter months were not conducive to riding outdoors and several miles were covered on the trainer trying to get fit for the season. I finally convinced Marc to buy a mountain bike, and during Easter vacation in Sweden, we explored the forest roads around our summer house on Hallandsåsen. My biking season came to a grinding halt on 8 May, when on a recovery ride after a 200 km brevet ride in the Ardennes, I hit a pothole, and down I went. I woke up on the pavement, and then ambulance to Halle Hospital. I was fortunate that I had no neck injuries, but my collar bone was crunched. It resulted in surgery. A trip to talk at the Alltech Annual Symposium in Kentucky had to be cancelled, and I was back on the bike trainer indoors.
Our focus then became to get me in good enough health to be able to go to France in July. The French Alps, again, offered us plenty of good riding. We spent 5 days in Vars, close to the Italian border and thereafter a week in Allemont, a village between Alp d’Huez and Croix de Fer. Then back to move into our new house, and biking became an occasional activity. We had a nice weekend in October when we went biking in the Ardennes and stayed overnight there. Fall colours were magnificent and the air was crisp and clear.


Oulstbergstraat 24.

On Midsummer Day, June 24, we signed the final contract for our new house and got the keys. We celebrated with dinner at our new house, and then left for France for our bike vacation. When we came back from France, we re-painted the living room and kitchen. We had our big moving day on July 26 (our wedding day), and a neighbour of Stuart and Micheline, Claude DeKeyzer, helped us with the heavy furniture. After 2 wonderful weeks in Sweden, we returned back to Belgium and continued with major work getting rid of debris from the garden and building the chicken pen. We quickly found that our neighbours Joseph and Annie were extremely helpful and skilled. It nearly became standard procedure; ‘Let us ask Joseph’. While I was on Crete for a conference, Marc became a frequent visitor of the container park, and I think he lost count at around 18 trips to the container park with a fully load Toyota RAV4. My parents visited us in September and were of great help to finish of several carpentry tasks, making curtains, etc. We had a great time together, and we had some of my parents’ old Belgian friends over for dinner and it was nice to see these ‘old acquaintances’. I contacted Claude, the man who helped us move, to help us finish off some interior walls in the garage and the ‘cat room’ that had never been done. Claude did an outstanding job and the garage is now all in wooden panels. Naturally, we have ‘childhood’ diseases that come with a ‘new home’, but Marc and I are slowly becoming knowledgeable home owners. We are so happy about this house, this garden, and this neighbourhood.

Family life
Our family has expanded a bit with new family members. My friend Ewout gave me two hens and a rooster belonging to an old Belgian breed: Antwerpse baardkrielen. Laura and Stina are good layers and hardy little birds that despite my best intentions insist on sleeping in the tree at night. I put them inside their new hen house when it is too cold, so that I sleep better. Oskar has taken his rooster tasks seriously and crows in the morning, and I hope that he also takes his rooster task seriously this coming spring, so that I can get little chickens. Pöna, one of my previous hens, left us, but Höna recovered from serious disease this spring, and Sotis is a fantastic layer and she is becoming very tame.
Leo and Sara like their new home and their own room has now been renovated to an extremely nice cat room.
Marc is becoming a good gardener. He likes cutting down branches and removing plants, and my dad gave him a few appropriate pruning tools so now we have many naked trees in our garden. We have prepared the grounds for a vegetable garden next spring.

One of Marc’s great passions is music. We have been to several great concerts this year. I am sure that Marc’s absolute favorite was Melissa Etheridge in Amsterdam. But we also had a great time at the Roxette outdoor concert in Halmstad. Other concerts included Natalia, Closeau, Silver and Milk Inc.

Friends, family and loved ones; we have so many, but most contacts have been through email and phone. A a few special ‘in person’ visits was Nancy Farzan moving to Belgium and visiting us, Monica Shipley, coming from California, and Stuart and Michelline coming from Italy. A short visit to Didier and Edith, Joanne and Nathan. When I was in Sweden before Christmas I managed to come right in time for glögg party by our cousin Mats, and a fun evening with Anna in Uppsala. We got to participate in Marc’s friend Patrick’s wedding to Shunyan, and I spent a Saturday showing Marc where I grew up in Berg, Linköping and a nice day with Kerstin and Janne.

I wish I could have time for more visits and that more friends will come and visit us in years to come. I wish that we all, you all, stay healthy and happy. I pray for blessings upon all of you!

So, I picked out a few photos of the year..
Click on link to see photos
http://cid-9c4b1255d491ba5c.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=play&resid=9C4B1255D491BA5C!712

Cat.



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Reflections about victims on the road

I wrote this poem recently reflecting on my friends injured and killed on the road.

Splattered out on the road, just another road kill.
The extinguished animal's life still always gives me the chill.
A child, a brother, a friend, or a mother.
A fast driver who just could not bother.
Sometimes human flesh mixed with wheels and steel.
I can only imagine how the victim's child now feel.
Just another one of our little ultracyclist family.
This trauma to our group will never end! Sadly.

Christmas 2009 reflections

Christmas and Year 2009 reflections

Another year has flown by and here I am again in the times of candle light and Christmas music, reflecting on the year that has passed. Last Christmas I was about to embark on my new journey of integrating back into Europe, and starting a new phase of my life, transforming my solo journey through life to a new life with my man, Marc. I can conclude that this has been a year of change, a year of challenge, a year of sorrow and a year of joy. Overall, it has been a very exciting year, and I am optimistic about the future and happy about my new life as Mrs Leuckx.

The move back to Europe
I had expected that the move from USA back to Europe would be challenging and costly. Last Christmas I was informed that my shipment and car was in China and in late January I found out that my moving company had gone bankrupt. The whole month of February was spent in prayers for my shipment and many telephone calls to try to get my goods. I can assure you that when I saw my Toyota inside my container, a wave of relief flowed over me. Thereafter, loaning a horse trailer from a good friend, my mother and father helped me move my household goods to Belgium.

Berge Veterinary Consulting.
In January I started my new company, Berge Veterinary Consulting, with aim to provide consulting in veterinary epidemiology, animal health and zoonosis control. This year I have been providing consulting services to Alltech, a company specializing in providing yeast-derived and organic nutritional supplements for animals. I have been working with Alltech sales team in several European countries, including Denmark, Hungary, Polen, Czech republic, Slovakia, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. I have participated in several conferences speaking on Salmonella and animal health issues. The challenges of setting up an own business, and working as a consultant, has been challenging and stimulating, but I feel that I have gained experience and confidence. I have been consulting around 10 days per month and taken time off when Marc, as math teacher, has school vacation. I have also been working with veterinary epidemiologist Professor Jeroen DeWulf and his graduate students at the University of Gent, and we have recently received funding for a study on the eco-epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in pig herds. Jeroen and I held a successful workshop at the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medecine in London and have been asked to continue this workshop next year.

Biking
Marc and I have definitely not covered the same number of kilometers on our bikes as previous years. Nevertheless, there have been some nice biking highlights this year. When our French friends, Didier and Edith visited us in April, we did the Ronde van Vlaanderen, 250 km with 25 km cobblestones. At the end of Marc’s school year, we went a week to Vars, south of Briancon in France. My first week biking in the Alps was fantastic and definitely my biking highlight of the year. In August, first time as a married couple, Marc and I returned to USA to bike another Pactour event. This time it was the Eastern Mountains of USA, starting in Atlanta, Georgia, we biked in the Smokey Mountains on the Blue Ridge Highway, through Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York state to Portland, Maine. Anne Noone made the ‘European trio’ complete, and we had many nice bikes miles together.

Family Leuckx.
Our big day was July 26 in Sweden. Family and a few friends celebrated our union in the little white church in Simlångsdalen (where my mother and father got married), followed by horse drawn cart to the restaurant for a wonderful forest inspired Swedish feast. Wedding cake was completely home made with the wedding couple in marzipan created the same morning with the help of my nieces and nephews.
Marc lost his father in June, and although we are mourning that he has left us, we are happy that he lived a full and independent life the way he wanted it, never having to leave his home farm. Marc spent a lot of time cleaning out the old family farm, and managed to get it sold quickly. The resulting money came very handy when we found our future home, a nice stone house on a hill, and when I stepped into the house, Marc knew I wanted it, and we were very quick in action. We made a downpayment, the purchase will be finalized after April, and we will take it over this coming summer, since we are tied to our current rental contract until Oct 2010.

Our four footed family members, Leo and Sara, have succesfully integrated into the Swedish and Belgian culture and our enjoying their life. They have improved their hunting skills and our neighbours our happy with their rodent control. Höna and Pöna, Marc’s dad’s hens, got a new home with us, and after 2 months of loving care, on a very cold winter night, Höna finally delivered an egg. Sotis, our black prodigy, is growing up, and moving up in the hen ranking. Tupp, the little white rooster, was not a very sturdy kind, and after a month with Höna and Pöna, he became sick. I left on a business trip, and Marc was left with a sick rooster sitting in the cat cage in the kitchen, drinking Clifshot electrolyte drink. But, he left us for bird heaven on Dec 16.

I have felt God’s hand in my life in everything from daily little things and moments of thoughts to the overall plan for my life. I remember that there were times when I had stopped myself from acknowledging the longings of my heart, for fear of hope unfullfilled. But God sees to the hidden thoughts and prayers in our hearts, and his plans for us are so much greater than we ever can imagine. I close this letter with a poem I wrote in 2004, that I have previously only shared with two friends.

Blue days,

Days, when the winds of loneliness sweep over my soul.
I lose sight of my blessings, my visions, my goal.
I sit here in misery wonder if, when and how.
Someone will stand before me and bow.
Wondering what it’s with me that’s wrong.
Wondering if I my whole life will long.
Just for someone to see.
Just for someone to want me.
God made me special just for that man.
I can wait till eternity, oh yes I can.
I will look at the Son of God shining bright.
Jesus Christ’s bride, Oh, what a sight.

As you can see, God sees, God cares, God answers prayers, in His special way!

Thank you for being part of my life!

Cat.

Advent and December

We have entered that special time of the year called Advent. Awaiting the full celebration of the birth of Christ. Reflecting on how God in his might, showed his true character in a little child. He did not come as a rich and mighty king. He came as a vulnerable, small and helpless little boy, who entered the world in the animal barn.
Marc is giving math exams at school today. When he gets home, I will feed him some new baked bread and then we will go for a little bike ride. It has finally stopped raining today.. Rain has kept us off the bike for over a week.
Leo and Sara have started sleeping season, which means that they spend about 20 hours per day sleeping by a heat source. At times I kick them out for a while. My chickens are still on egg strike. Probably due to lack of daylight. I have threatened the two older hens that they will become soup if they do not give me eggs.. But they are just pecking away at the feed I give them and ignoring my threats.

Tuesday night in Oetingen

Marc has just returned from Swedish lessons, and I have not made it into bed yet. I have been busy on working on presentations for various seminars in the coming month.. but about 2 hours ago, my brain crashed and I have only been able to get the internet social functions and trivia components of my forebrain to reboot.

Turns out my hens want more proteins.. so, they are on egg strike until they get more protein rich feed. Awaiting a new delivery tomorrow, I have been feeding them stale old energy bars. They like the peanutbutter ones the most.

My friend Nancy Farzan from San Fransisco visited on Saturday, with her Belgian boyfriend. I think she is thinking of becoming a Belgian housewife too. This blog is dedicated to Nancy.

Cycling highlight this summer

A rainy day in Oetingen

I actually do not have time to start blogging.. but procrastination is a way to get these life trivia done. So, here we go. A house wife in Oetingen. Not one of those fantastic little Belgian women, who polish their sidewalks with toothbrush, wash windows and remove weeds with tweezers every day. Not one of those wifes who has lunch ready for her husband when he comes home from his bicycle ride with his hubbies.
No.. I think my disturbing un-wife like features drives my slightly compulsive obsessive husband mad at times. Like running around on bare feet when it is freezing and weat outside, and forgetting to turn the ligth of in the cellar. And getting a rooster in with the 3 hens.. thus feeding a bird that wakes him up at 4:30 am with 'cukoo' and does not even give eggs. The other hens are not giving any eggs either, so I am according to my friend John's recommendation giving them hot food every day..
So, with this totally random uninteresting introduction to my blogger career, there is hope, because I can not but improve.