Christmas Chocolates are here
By Owner: Bonnie Meier

The Christmas Chocolates just came in about a week ago. The chocolate letters are moving pretty fast, so if you are interested in certain letters, please let us know as soon as possible. We will be gone for a couple of days over Thanksgiving, so an e-mail would be the fastest (jubonjuweelen@gmail.com) We also have chocolate Sinterklaas's and Sea Salt Caramels. Actually, Lee and I don't mind if the Sea Salt Caramels don't sell, because we love them and whatever doesn't sell, we'll eat.

Christmas Market
By Owner: Bonnie Meier

We will be taking part in a Holiday Boutique in Sioux Center on November 23 (which will be over by the time you get this letter), but Orange City is going to have a Christmas Market in the old Town Hall on Saturday, December 14. We will also be taking part in that. We will have books, Dutch chocolates, puzzles, Dutch slippers and many other items for sales. Remember, we always have wooden shoes (four different designs) for sale at the house. We usually are open six days a week from around 10:07 a.m. - 5:13 p.m., however, since we are now "semi-retired" we sometimes take advantage of things we used to forego. We have a little "Open/Closed" sign in front of our garage that tells you if we are around. If we say open and you don't see anyone around, we will be back in a few minutes. Sometimes it says closed and we really are open, because I don't always remember to turn the sign around. I'm usually in the little room inside and behind the garage. There is a Dutch door in front. Just stick your head in and I'll usually be there.

Website Udpates
By Owner: Bonnie Meier

Juliana is in the process of helping me update our website jubonjuweelen.biz. It still had our old address and much of the copy was outdated. It isn't completely up to date yet, but it has a good start. Also, many people have told me that they couldn't get ahold of us anymore. Our old telephone number 712-707-8920 is no longer in service. Our current number is 712-737-8920.

Beautiful Collector Discs Available
By Owner: Bonnie Meier

I just received a box of ten (actually 11, but one is for me) beautiful collector golf discs with a custom stamp commemorating Juliana's most recent and 4th WFDF Overall Flying Disc World Champion title as well as her 5 Women's Pro PDGA World Champion titles. The discs are being called the JK 5x4. The discs are a fundraiser for next year's US Open Flying Disc Overall that Juliana and Rick LeBeau will be hosting in San Diego in August. Other than buying directly from Rick, our little shop is the only place you can currently purchase this design.

By the way, the design is already outdated. At the time of creation, Juliana had what she considers 9 BIG World titles that includes her 5 pro PDGA titles and her 4 WFDF Overall titles, but within a few months of their release, Juliana captured 2 additional and equally prestigious World Championship Titles. The 2 new titles are in Women's Pairs and Mixed Pairs in Freestyle Frisbee which is governed by the FPA (Freestyle Player's Association).

History of the Netherlands
By: Jon A. Boone

In the October newsletter we started the story that my uncle summarized about the History of the Dutch. It was too long to get in one newsletter, so we will continue it now. If you didn't see the first installment, go to our website www.jubonjuweelen.biz and click on Jubon Journal. That will open up eleven years worth of monthly journals.

Now to our true story:

Where did we (the Dutch) come from?

On 23 May, 1568 Louis, the brother of William of Orange, defeated a small Spanish force. This was historically important only for being the day that has been called the start of the 80 Years' War, for Louis was quickly defeated. The next years saw high taxation upon the Dutch in part to support the Spanish and mercenary army so that the Dutch were made to pay for their own troubles. There was general widespread unrest particularly from 1571 on, and particularly in Holland and Zealand where the revolt was to be the most successful.

On 1 April, 1572 1400 sea beggars occupied the town of Den Briel near the old river Meuse led by Willem Blois van Treslong and others. This was the start of the full revolt against Spain as it spread across the country. The rebels had created a foothold on Dutch soil from which they would never be driven. The Spanish continued to largely control the land and opposed any rebellion with great force but the Dutch seafarers controlled the waters. In November 1573 Alva, considered a failure, was replaced by Don Luis de Requescens who soon had his own troubles only to die in 1576.

1575 saw the sack of Antwerp in which Spanish soldiers murdered 8,000 citizens. In response the whole country, both Catholic and Protestant began to unite to form the Pacification of Ghent, forming the first real Dutch army. Slowly with many setbacks, the revolt continued.

In history it is now seen to be William's son, Maurice, who was the military leader who finally defeated the Spanish when, unique to Europe, he firmly devised standard commands for controlling the Dutch army. His principles became the standards in western military practice for 250 years.

In 1579 the Netherlands, always contentious, divided into two general areas largely on religious grounds. The South remained Catholic, with the Union of Altrect, and the Northern provinces Protestant, with the Union of Utrecht. The south was Spanish controlled much to its disadvantage. In 1580 William of Orange, who had always been a leader in the revolt, was outlawed, only to be assassinated in 1584 in The Hague.

In 1581 the seven Northern provinces declared their independence and the war went on. In very general terms Johan van Oldenbernevelt was active politically in somewhat the same way William of Orange had been, before Williams's death, only to be executed as Hollands 'prime minister' in 1619, something the Dutch seemed prone to do. Maurice was successfully active on the military side. There was no end to contention, North versus Spain until 1609 the start of the twelve years truce due to the exhaustion of both sides only to have the war continue in 1621. In 1625 Maurice died, and was succeeded by Frederick Henry who died in 1647 and was succeeded by William II. Finally in 1648, at the Peace of Munster, the war formally ended.

...So we finally have the land we celebrate each May, with the southern portion of the old Netherlands lost forever. And after all this terror and turmoil the bulk of the 17th center becomes the Dutch golden age with the Netherlands, through its mighty ocean trade, becoming perhaps the richest country in Europe, at least for a short time, but that is an other story.