Tot zo Colette!

“Everyone has the power to make someone happy, some by entering a room, others by leaving it.”

And Colette Van Der Meulen is one of those people. She always made everybody happy by entering a room.

As you probably know, Colette is leaving California to settle in New Mexico.
While wishing her the best, I am sorry (I think we all are) to see our little Dutch “meisje” go.
We all liked her smile, her laugh, her good-humored nature and her competitive spirit.
I also had the pleasure to meet her mother and her sister (Monique) and I was not a bit surprised to find them all extremely “simpatico”.

I always enjoyed playing pétanque with Colette. She took the game very seriously and concentrated on each shot.
She started as a “pointer”, but I always encouraged her to try her hand at “shooting”. She followed my advice and when in a bind she didn’t hesitate to throw her boule forcefully.
More often that not she succeeded and you could then see the rosy glow on her cheeks.

Colette left but she said that she wouldn’t forget us and fly back for some of our tournaments.
We are counting on it.

Van der Meulen by the way is the name of a person who lived at a mill or was a miller.

There are many famous Van Der Meulen.

• Adam Frans van der Meulen(1632–1690), Flemish Baroque painter
• Claes Pietersz van der Meulen(1642-1693), Dutch glass painter
• Cornelis van der Meulen(1642–1691), Dutch painter
• Daniel van der Meulen(1894-1989), Dutch diplomat, explorer and writer
• Gary Vandermeulen(born 1965), Canadian swimmer
• Gary Vandermolen(b. 1960), English-Israeli footballer
• Gejus van der Meulen(1903–1972), Dutch footballer
• Harm van der Meulen(1925–2007), Dutch politician
• Johan van der Meulen(1915–2005), better known as John O’Mill, Dutch writer
• Karst van der Meulen(b. 1949), Dutch film and television director
• Leendert van der Meulen(b. 1937), Dutch cyclist
• Olof van der Meulen(born 1968), Dutch volleyball player
• Servaes van der Meulen(1525-1592), Flemish composer and organist
• Sieuwert van der Meulen(1663-1730), Dutch painter
• Steven van der Meulen, Dutch artist
• Thijs van der Meulen(born 1980), Dutch footballer
• Timothy van der Meulen(born 1990), Dutch footballer
• Tsjibbe Gearts van der Meulen(1824–1906), Frisian writer
• Colette Van Der Meulen, Pétanque Pro

Goodbye Colette. Our loss, New Mexico’s gain.
A bientôt ! We are holding a warm place in our hearts for you.

Gezelligheid kent geen tijd (Time spent together is time well spent.)

Alain