Whatsit Wednesday: Wash hand

How do you wash up? Did you know that cultures vary, even within a country? When I first came to the Netherlands I first encountered something that I, at least, had not yet encountered in my life. It was called a “wash hand”. Now that I have been down at camp these past weeks I have seen plenty of them again, since almost every child brings one along in their toiletries for the camp week. 

A wash hand, simply put, is a wash cloth that you can put your hand into. So it looks like a small oven mit made of Terry cloth. It will have a little loop on the corner so that you can hang it up on a hook in the bathroom. And, as mentioned, almost everyone has one. It is used in the shower for cleaning your body, but can also be used at the camping grounds just for washing your face or doing a quick once over under your arms to freshen up. 

I have always found these to be much more useful than a simple wash cloth, which has to be folded or laid across some place to dry. And a wash cloth inevitably gets balled up in your hand as you try to use it when washing (my experience, in any case). But a wash hand fits over your hand so that you simply wash as you would naturally when using soap. 

It is simple. Perhaps it is in many countries and I was never aware of it. But I first encountered this wonderful tool when I came to the Netherlands. Have you heard of a wash hand? What is it called where you are from? 

Whatsit Wednesday: Jar licker

I remember cooking with my mom and siblings in the kitchen when I was young. Whenever Mom made cookies or a cake or some such, we were allowed to help, especially with the clean-up. This meant, since there were multiple siblings, that someone got the spoon, someone else the spatula and two others the bowl. When we ended up having six, it got harder to be fair. Each kid had something to lick off and enjoy. 

So when I got to the Netherlands and heard that they had a utensil which is literally called a “jar licker” - pottenlikker - I was intrigued. What did this utensil look like and how was it used. But there wasn’t much of a mystery. It was exactly what it purported to be - a utensil which helps clear out a jar. 

Mind you, it is not a spatula. A spatula can be used to clean a pan or bowl or pot. It is a bit of silicon on a stick that can be used, better than a spoon, to clean the edges of the pan or bowl or pot. The “pottenlikker” has a different task in the kitchen. It is specifically used for (usually glass) jars. The word for jar in Dutch is “pot”, just to make things a bit more confusing. 

The Dutch are considered to be thrifty. Some call I stingy. The joke among the Belgians about the Dutch is: How do you know which yard is from a Dutchman? It is the one with the toiletpaper hanging up to dry. So wanting to get the very last bits out of a jar makes perfect sense for a Dutchman. After all, you paid for everything in the jar, you should be able to enjoy every last bit. That is what a pottenlikker is for - to get the very last bit. 

But it also touches on another desire of the Dutchman - being environmentally friendly. The Dutch have a lot of things in jars. They buy their vegetables in jars instead of cans. Glass jars can be recycled. There is a place in every neighborhood to bring your used glass containers (jars). But these should be dumped or gathered clean. If you leave bits of food in the jar, it will only attract bugs of all sorts and will stink up the area. So every jar should be cleaned. Enter the pottenlikker. 

Maintenance

This past weekend was the end of our Fall camps, a special religious holiday in Belgium and a day to get things ready at camp for the coming winter. Although Halloween is not really a holiday here, All Saints Day is. This is the day that many visit the graves of their loved ones. It is one of the biggest days for florists as everyone is getting flowers (mostly chrysanthemums) to put on the graves. It is a time to remember, to put family first, sewn into society and the social calendar of the year.

Down at camp it is a time for maintenance. We have to get the buildings ready to go into the winter, never knowing how bitter the winter might be. It is time to clean off the leaves from the roofs, clear off the driveway, and prep the buildings inside. This weekend we also had a hill of dirt to move from one place to another. The field had begun to settle after the flooding a few years back, so it was time to set things to rights again. This was especially important around some metal lids in the field which give us access to our septic system. We do not want any kids falling in or hitting their heads on these metal lids. 

More importantly, a day like this down at camp is a time to talk during the coffee breaks and lunch breaks. There were only 6 of us down there, but it was a good group that worked hard. Two of the 6 men were the young sons of one of our camp leaders. They did quite a bit of the work digging out the dirt, shoveling it into wheelbarrows and letting the wheelbarrows be wheeled to where they were to be dumped. In the end we all went home satisfied and dirty, knowing that camp was ready for the coming months. 

Back in Maastricht yesterday was the first Sunday of the month and was a good day to be back together with Christian family. Some have been off on holiday (it was a school holiday break in Belgium) and others were finally back after a short period of typical Fall colds. One of our Ukrainians heard this past weekend that his father was killed in a battle in the East. This young man has been with us for the last two years and so has not seen his father for the last three years. Death never seems to be expected, even in war. 

Work camp

Beautiful weather, a place we all love and a great group of young and older people working together. That is a really good work camp. Every year at the Ascension Day holiday (Thursday and Friday are free days for many people), we get a group together down at camp to get done what needs done before the full summer weeks of camp begin. 

There is always the normal cleaning that needs done and the maintenance of the buildings and terrain. Spiderwebs to be removed, windows to be cleaned, a kitchen to be completely cleaned and lots of grass to be mown. These are the normal tasks. But this year we have some bigger changes that also needed taken care of. 

More than 40 years ago we were able to find a set of beds from the Dutch military. They were changing to longer beds and the ones they had (already longer than normal) were being dropped to whoever might be able to use them. This was perfect opportunity for us as we needed at least 16 bunkbeds for the new dormitory we had built at the time. Now, the beds have more than done their duty and both the beds and mattresses were showing their age. It was time to renew. 

So we have been able to purchase new beds and mattresses. This is a great thought, but it also needs to be done. Break down 32 old metal beds, throw out the old mattresses and build new beds with mattresses in their place. Thankfully we had a very enthusiastic crew. The first evening saw all of the new beds placed after the old ones had been removed. The second day saw the old beds taken off and the mattresses found their way to the recycling park back in my village. 

In the meantime the other most visible project was also taking shape - the new basketball court was getting a lick of paint. Now no one will have to guess where the free-throw line is or if they just scored a 3-pointer. The lines were painted on this newest addition to the camp terrain. Last summer was the first that it could actually be used and it was used immediately and by every single week of camp. Every age has found it fun and useful - if not as a basketball court, then as a great place to sit in the sun. 

We had a young man return for this few days of work who has not been to camp for about 9 years. He worked together with his two young nephews, who can be a handful - as he was when he was their age. We also had the help of 4 young Dutch kids who live in Switzerland and come to camp almost every year. This camp gets into your bones once you have been. 

And that is what we are planning on in the coming years as well. The plans for the coming year are to rebuild the oldest section to include new toilets and showers, a new kitchen and a section of bedrooms above the kitchen for the team leaders. Each year camp is being transformed into a place that can be used more often. And it is being used throughout the year by the various congregations. 

In less than two weeks the congregation in Maastricht will also have a church day down at camp. We are so very thankful for all the people that have made camp what it is throughout the years and for how `god is blessing this tool now as well. 

(Click on the picture for more pictures)