Gertie, EOL-doula ,death midwife

09/08/2026

I am posting this just to point out that what is considered normal in one culture can be perceived differently in another country .
One is not better than the other , they are just different

https://dutchreview.com/culture/weird-things-dying-netherlands/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAUNewRwZG9mBWZkaWQWUODGmKITrvEVDES-VmuSKTA1YYeiI2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7AbAtpeZPG3PYEO1ucm1SfPvP4zUyWgod5azCVQotjqEPR0Einun89C60KYw_aem_Ww_sCvoz9pAE6RPKegh3vw

The timeline she describes for burial or cremation is not complete;
Not within 34 hours other than for religious reasons
Longer than 6 days is permitted when relatives have to travel from aboard to attend . In both cases you need a permit .
When my mother in law passed away the funeral was on day 9 as we had to travel back from the US in a time flights were sold completely out .
The euthanasia is a lengthy process with a lot of checks and balances and regulations. The fact that the option is out there doesn’t mean it’s being done a lot . Over the last 5 years it was done is lesser than 5% of the deaths, but it gives people a lot of peace knowing that it’s an option

So, you’re planning on dying in the Netherlands. Well, not so much planning as…. you know. Planning the un-plan-able.

08/29/2026

Please read as this is so important, the only regret most families have is that they waited to long before getting hospice involved

https://www.facebook.com/share/1GP1PMtpmp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Here's what families need to know before putting someone in hospice care http://www.wnem.com/2026/04/28/understanding-hospice-care-what-patients-families-need-know/

07/20/2026

The loop is secure on the plywood with tie rips and willow. Have to soak the willow a little longer to be able to make butterflies as the willow cracks, maybe need to sort out some thinner once’s . The bark broke when I nailed it , should have bought that nail-gun last week when it was on sale . While waiting on the willow , have to come up with language for the sign and order it . 4x4 is cut to 7 foot , all in all project is moving on nicely

07/16/2026

These are some of the people I have the honor to work with as a hospice volunteer

06/27/2026

The grapevine soaked long enough but it was still a little wrestling match to wrap it around the base shape . Now letting it dry for a little bit and secure to the background .I might have to grab some green vines to do a little touch up afterwards but there is plenty growing

06/17/2026

So for a long time I feel the nature trail at our local historical village and museum needs a wind-phone for grieving people to make “ one more phone call “ I have seen pretty colorful once but in my mind this one needs to blend in . When I ran the idea by Dan , the administrator, he gave me the ok to give it a shot . So I sourced local grapevine , turned that into a wreath, that I then soaked for a week so that today I could nail it on a piece of plywood I cut out and stained in the shape of a tear . My vision is to take of the wreath when it’s dried in shape and add more vines to it to give it more body to be the housing of the phone , attach bark that comes from the museum grounds to the back before adding the phone and sign and use locally grown willow to weave a few butterflies to add to the top of the pole the tear will sit on and then decorate te pole with more found think grapevine. Time will tell if I can make my hands to make what my eyes are so clearly see .

https://www.mywindphone.com/

05/28/2026

Such an important thing to happen for those that want to use it .

Republican State Rep. Matthew Bierlein called it a morally questionable proposal that lacks the buy-in of health care professionals.

02/07/2026

Her husband honored her last wishes so this is how they traveled to church and cemetery. Different but a beautiful show of love

02/04/2026

I might have shared this story in the past , I lived about 5 miles away from Roermond when we lived in the Netherlands

Even in death, they were not allowed to rest together.
This haunting photograph shows one of the most powerful and emotional grave monuments in the Netherlands — located in Roermond, built in 1888.
A Catholic woman and her Protestant husband loved each other deeply, but in the 19th century, Dutch society was still sharply divided by religion. Even cemeteries were separated into strict sections:
Catholics buried on one side
Protestants buried on the other
A literal wall standing between them
When the couple died, they were told they could not be buried side by side.
So their families created something unforgettable.
Two grave monuments were placed on opposite sides of the wall…
but reaching above it are two sculpted arms, forever locked in a handshake.
A silent act of rebellion.
A message carved in stone:
Love is stronger than division.
Human connection survives even the strictest boundaries.
And sometimes, the greatest protest is simply refusing to let go.
Today, these graves have become a symbol of tolerance, unity, and the tragic reality of how deeply religion once shaped everyday life — even after death.
A story of separation… and eternal devotion.
📍 Roermond, The Netherlands
🕯️ 1888