Shore
Our yard and house drain into the Smallinger Ee, a former ebb/flood creek of the Frisian ‘Mid- delzee’. We use half rainwater from our roof; the other half is tapwater, pumped up at nearby wells from sources that ‘rained in’ 2500 years ago – days of the first floodmounds on the Wad, Solon of Athens, prophet Amos and early Maya civilization.
Fellow pilgrim
Blessed with the company of Henk, biologist/ecologist and musician, with whom I learned to appreciate the weeds between our paving stones and in the marginal spots of our yards. His passion for music connects with ‘honest/fair’ tropical hardwood from East Africa: basic material for his beloved clarinet.
Senses
As a baker’s son I grew up with the smell and taste of bread. Now I bake with growing pleasure: beautiful colors, good taste, irresistable smell and soft hands after the dough.
Name
Jacob Johannes, named after mother’s father, who in turn was named after his grandfather, Jacob Johannes from nearby Zeeuws-Vlaams Aardenburg (Belgium), in the twilight years of Napoleon Bonaparte and Simon Bolívar
My father’s surname Schiere can be traced back to the Frisi- an Wadden Sea harbor of Harlingen, the last days of Menno Simons, Emperor CharlesV and Maya K’ekchi’ Matalbatz.
