Counting down....10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..........

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

It snowed last night……woo hoo! I’m sooooo happy; I could almost do a happy dance :) That might sound funny to a lot of you, but it doesn’t snow that much where I live, so it’s actually quite rare. It isn’t that much yet, but they are predicting more snow later today. Or to be more precise, a severe weather warning has been issued. Later today the weather is going to be sort of horrible, they are telling people to stay indoors.

Well, that’s The Netherlands for you….. One moment it doesn’t look like winter at all and the next moment there is so much wintry weather that you have to stay indoors. Silly old country!

Cleaning!

Hi there people, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. I am sure you did, and so did I, but I’m not going to bore you with yet another Christmas story. I probably talked about Christmas more then enough before.... So, Christmas is done and dusted and now it is time to look towards the New Year.

I like to start every New Year with a new refill for my organizer, a fresh journal, clean house and an even cleaner PC. So at the end of every year I check all my folders and I throw away all the stuff I haven’t used in a very long time. I noticed that you can come across the weirdest stuff on your PC in folders you have probably all forgotten about. Funny Pictures, strange quotes and so on and so on. Of course I’m not throwing away everything, but some things are just begging to be thrown in the rubbish bin.

This year I decided to browse through my music folders too. It’s time to organize and tag them properly. I started doing this today and I’m almost regretting my decision. Man, I didn’t know I had that much music on my PC. I’ll probably still be doing this in 2006. Oh well, at least i won’t be bored :) And there is another bonus too; at least I’ll know exactly what kind of music I have. And that provides me with another bonus…. After I have finished, I know exactly what I can put on my iPod, which I received from a sort of secret Santa right before Christmas. Thank you, Santa :))

For all the wonderful people out there :)

Okay…time to relax!

I’ve got most of the shopping done and I did most of the things that I had on my list earlier this week. I just have to get some fresh vegetables and flowers tomorrow and bake a cake. Not because I can’t do without, or because someone told me to, but just because I want too. I really like the smell of freshly baked goods. Earlier I baked the cookies and I love the way the house smells when the cookies are happily baking away in the oven. Oh and they are very tasty too, I might add.

I feel great, relaxed and I’m looking forward to Christmas. That has not always been the case. For many years I really loved Christmas, but I’ve been depressed for a long time and during that period Christmas came and went by like any other day. I had no tree, no decorations, didn’t send any cards, didn’t answer the phone and there had been some days that I even didn’t bother to come out of my bed or get dressed.

I’m glad to say that that’s all in the past now. I found my way back, I’m starting to love Christmas again, but I’m still not overdoing it, but I’m enjoying it! And I can tell you why….because it is my Christmas! I’m doing what I want, making it my perfect Christmas and to top it all off, I am spending time with just the right crowd.

Well, I’ve got to practice what I preach don’t I :)

A strange day before Christmas.

Wow…it’s a bit of a strange day today. And when I say strange, I mean strange!

First of all I got a phone call this morning. There is nothing special about that, but I was listening to a guy who was apologizing for something over and over again. Apologies can be nice, but I didn’t know the guy and I didn’t had a clue what he was talking about. I tried to tell him just that, but he was going on and on. Finally he needed to catch his breath, so I could tell him he had dialled the wrong number or something. I felt a bit sorry for the guy, now he had to dial the correct number and tell the whole story all over again. Bummer!

Another strange thing of the day: I think I stole something. Me….stole! I have never stolen anything in my life. I was doing some grocery shopping for Christmas and I didn’t need that much so I used a shopping basket. I walked to the cash register, placed my items on the belt, paid for them, and returned the items to my basket while I was walking out of the store. To my surprise I saw that there was still a carton of cream in there. Oops, I hadn’t paid for that!
How stupid is that! I was so preoccupied with other stuff, I totally forgot to place all my items on the belt. Silly me!

And then there is this. I received totally no mail today and that is a first! Really, no mail at all. Is the postman saving my mail up or something? Is he going to deliver it later this week? …..hmmz strange! Well, let’s look at the bright side, if he really is saving up my mail I’m going to get a nice bundle at the end of the week. Woo hoo!

So be good for goodness sake!

Treat yourself to status check.

I was chatting with a friend this morning and she said something that really amazed me. She said that she wants to change herself and be more “normal”. I was totally gobsmacked for a moment and when I got my speech back just simply asked her ‘why’? Well according to her, people think she is not “normal”. That got me thinking because I don’t believe that there is a definite definition for the word “normal”. What I consider to be “normal” can be totally weird for the next person. For instance: I like to bake cookies for Christmas, another person might think that’s so weird, just go to a store and buy them. Another example: I like to do Random Acts of Kindness, others think that is pretty weird. But who cares what others think, it’s what I think that counts for me. So if others think I’m not “normal” that's just their problem, not mine.

We talked a bit more and as it turns out, she really does want to reinvent herself. Funnily enough, that is very common these days. More and more people want to reinvent, change, improve themselves or want a total makeover. They just want to fit in, be as “normal” as the rest of the world. They try to accomplish this by plastic surgery, self-help and self-improvement books, by buying things they really can't afford. It can be a long and excruciating process. But is it really necessary to change totally? I don't think so. There is nothing wrong with diversity and a lot of people don’t realize it, but they are pretty awesome just the way they are. But what do you do if you really want to change certain things, improve a thing here and there?

Well, there is a simple answer to that; take a time out and perform a status check every few months. Ask yourself a couple of simple questions to determine if you are still on the right track. Do you undertake enough things that give you energy? Do certain things bother you? Do you get annoyed by little things? Can you come up with things which really need to be changed? If so...... change them, one step at a time. Just a small course correction can be just the thing you need. Oh....and there is one bonus too, when you perform a status check from time to time you will never have to reinvent yourself completely.

Wow!!

I just noticed that my statcounter has passed the 1000 pageloads point. Wow again!.
When I started this blog I never thought that I would reach this point. In the beginning I didn’t even had a counter on this, so I always thought that no one was reading this. As it turns out quite a few people are reading this stuff, glimpse at it, or are just passing by. I just need to say it one more time…….WOW!

Blind date!

STOP STRESSING - A message to me!

Normally I am very organized, some people might even say that I’m too organized, but today I am having this sensation that everything is spiralling out of control. I have this funny feeling that I need to do a 1000 things before Christmas and that is only 6 days from now.
So now I have to figure out:
A) what really needs to be done……and
B) which things I can do if I really have some time to spare.

The A-list:

Figure out a menu for Christmas day. I’m having some friend over and we are all going to make certain dishes. One is going to make the entrée, another one the main course, another one the dessert and so on and so on. That takes a bit of planning because the dishes should suit and complement each other.

Make a shopping list (don’t forget the flowers and candles)

Figure out where to get certain items

Plan when and where to do the shopping

Assign someone to get the wine.

Pay it forward

Check if I did sent all my cards out

Donate money to the Red Cross via Serious Request (dutchradio www.3fm.nl) and save a child in Congo

The B-list:

Bake a cake and cookies

Make a festive garland (or something) for the hall.

Create something special for my blog

Answer e-mails

Buy some small funny gifts

So much to do, so little time. Actually, now that I’m seeing this list, it’s not that bad. I can do this! Woow, the tranquillity is returning!! I am starting to feel almost Zen-like! Making a list is grand! Being organized, is soooooo cool :)

Message to my Dad

Hi there amazing guy,

Today you would have turned 77 but you are not, and we both know why. You died almost 20 years (next May) ago and we both know that you can never return. Maybe you didn’t totally disappear; maybe your spirit is still near me. I don’t know but if you are, you know you are more then welcome.

Twenty years is a really long time. I still think of you fondly, miss you and I still think you were an amazing guy. Not just because you were my dad, but because you were special. You have taught me so many things and I can’t mention them all, so here is a selection. You taught me how to cook, how appreciate life, how to tinker with things, values, how to persevere, how to learn, how to listen, how to love, how to find the perfect Christmas tree, how to put up wallpaper, how to paint, how to care, how to share and how to overcome the greater challenges in life. And even though you are no longer here, I still believe you are teaching me things every day. Or maybe it’s because I see things more and more the way you did. According to Mom, I have more of you in me every day, character wise that is. Hmm… so parts of you are still here I guess, you live on through me :)

I am writing this little message because I wanted to let you know that you are not forgotten and that we are all okay, but I have this funny feeling that you already know that. Tonight I will light a special candle, I will drink a glass of wine, maybe I will eat a piece of pie to celebrate the day you were born and I’ll think of the fun and special things we did together.

Love ya!

Let’s make it an: ‘I've learned’ – Friday again

I’ve learned – That money has nothing to do with happiness!

Don’t get me wrong, money can be very useful and it can increase your feeling of happiness, but you don’t needs tons of it to feel happy.

Over the years I have had all sorts of jobs, all with a different income. Some years my income was high and in some jobs I made just enough money to survive. And funnily enough this did not affect my happiness as much as I always thought it would. I always thought I would be devastated, but I’m not.

It is fun when you can buy everything you want, but when you have less to spend you’ll need to become really creative and that can be fun too. Weird, isn't it? Creativity can really contribute to your happiness. Creativity is a funny thing, it grows! When you have to think up creative ways to get the things you need, your creativity in other fields grow too. You are more inspired, you learn different things, like how to cook for instance ;) Just kidding! You even look at things in a different way.

This year I lived on a very tight budget, but I survived and I actually feel better and happier than I did in the wealthier years. I rekindled old friendships, I have met some new inspiring and interesting friends, revived some old hobbies, I give more to the world than before, I invest more of my time in fun experiments, I experience every day as a new adventure filled with exciting opportunities and I have learned that I can accomplish all sorts of things if I really want too. I don't need money to feel happy, I feel great!!

"True happiness brings more richness than all the money in the world."

Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire.

I went to see Harry P. yesterday and was actually quite surprised by it. I really love the books and most of the movies are a bit of a disappointment. Nevertheless, I liked the previous movies but I love this one. So much more magical and it’s a little darker, a little grittier, and a little more involving.
I was really pleased with the way they made Alastor ‘MadEye’ Moody come alive. What a great character! I already liked him in the book, but I liked him even more in the movie. And how about Lord Voldemort, wow! He really is the Dark Lord.
Great movie and in my opinion quite easily the best Potter movie yet. I can’t wait to see the next one :)

The Homeless Christmas tree.

Once upon, long ago, the city streets were deserted on that cold an wintery night. The weather forecasters were talking about the chances of a white Christmas and for once the outlook was very promising. But for now, it was cold, very cold, or to describe the situation better: it was actually freezing cold! Most people stayed indoors, nicely tucked away in their houses. They were sitting around their fireplace, enjoying the preparations for Christmas. Some were decorating their Christmas tree, making strings of popcorn. Others were hanging their fairy lights, writing their Christmas cards by candlelight or picking out recipes for a grand Christmas dinner. All in all it all looked very cosy.

As I said most people stayed indoors, but there were still people who had to do some last minute shopping and they were brave enough to face the cold weather. Among them was this 20something couple. They were wrapped in thick winter coats, shawls, hats and gloves. This was going be their first Christmas together and it was going to be a very special one. They couldn’t afford to buy a tree or presents, but the fact that they would be together this Christmas was the biggest gift ever. They bought a lot of candles and now it was time to get the groceries in. Armed with a shopping list, a great bag and each other they walked to the nearby store. While walking, they secretly looked into the houses; it all looked so comfy and warm. Just looking at it, made them feel all warm and fussy. This was going to be a perfect Christmas, with or without a tree and presents.

They came to a side street, looked left, right and left before crossing the street and then they looked simultaneous right again. What they saw couldn’t be real? Their eyes were deceiving them, right? Just across the street was a potted Christmas tree standing next to a lamp-post. How weird was that? They crossed the street to inspect the tree up-close. It was still wrapped for transport. Strange! Probably someone just put it there for a second, while they were looking for a parking space. The couple looked around, but there was nobody there. No cars riding around, no people walking, the street was absolutely deserted. This was like a things you see in movies, not in real life. They couldn’t take this tree now, could they? Doubt! Questions…… but they decided to leave the tree behind. After all they were going to the supermarket; you can’t do your grocery shopping with a tree stuck under your arm or in your shopping card.

They decided to forget about the tree and focused on the shopping. They had a long list and of course some of things were already sold-out, but this was their last shopping opportunity before Christmas, so they needed to make the most of it. Walking around, altering the menu, deciding on new things was fun, but somehow the tree was still lingering in the back of their minds. Who would leave a perfectly good tree out on the street? This thing was dug out for Christmas and now it was standing on a very cold street corner; cold, lonely and desolate a bit like a homeless person. The couple, they just couldn’t help it, started talking about the tree again. It was so sad, the tree out there, it seemed like such a waste. So they agreed on this: If the tree was still there when they walked home, they would give the tree the best Christmas ever. They would take it home with them, they would decorated it and even replant it in the garden after Christmas. They felt relieved now that they had reached a decision. The rest of the shopping went very swiftly. There wasn’t even a queue at check-out. Time for the walk home.

They felt a bit anxious. Would the tree still be there? No, of course not!. The owner probably took the tree home with him by now. Who in his right mind would leave a tree on a big city street corner for hours …… no one! Much to the couples surprise the tree was still there. They could see it clearly from miles away. While they were getting closer, they checked their surroundings once more. The streets were still deserted. The guy handed one of the shopping bags to the girl, he needed one free arm. In one swift move he grabbed the tree, he didn’t even stop to lift it, and just kept on walking. The girl was flabbergasted, were they really doing this? As it turned out, they did! Was this stealing? Or was it just inviting a homeless thing into your home? It was exiting, fun and worrying, all at the same time. They walked a bit faster. It would be really embarrassing if someone would yell: ‘Hey, what are you doing with my tree? Give it back, that is my tree!’ Surprisingly no one yelled, no doors were opened, no one came running after them. Somewhat more relaxed the arrived home, with their shopping and a tree as a bonus! Santa had just given them a Christmas tree ;) This Christmas just couldn’t go wrong! And it didn’t, they decorated the tree, had the best Christmas ever and planted the tree in the garden after the New Year started.

The tree is still there, as beautiful as ever, growing taller each year. And it still gets decorated with lights, year, after year. No longer by the same couple, they are not together anymore, but by other people who will never know the story behind that lovely (once homeless) Christmas tree.

*The End*

Boring

Just click the cartoon to read the text.

Not that much time to blog today.

Busy, busy, busy. No, not that busy, but I think it’s time. Time to start writing my Christmas cards. Time is marching on a bit and if I leave it any longer Christmas would be really just around the corner. And no, I don’t have to send hundreds of cards or anything, but I like to do special things. Most of the time I add special personalised messages for the recipients, or I will add pictures or just a funny inspiring comment. It is a bit time consuming, but very much appreciated especially by a lot of my elderly aunt’s and uncle’s. So I’m off writing……. with a pen that is :)

Dreading December.

I was reading the newspaper yesterday and I came across an interesting article about the holiday season. As it turns out, a lot of Dutch folks really dislike this month, December.
When asked, 32% admitted that they disliked the hustle and bustle and 33% said that they would rather skip December entirely.
How cheerless :( was my thirst thought. I understood it better after reading the entire article.

Why people dislike December:

It is the darkest period of the year. The days are shorter. Some people really get depressed because of this.

Some people feel lonely and deserted. They have lost their spouse; have no kids, relatives or friends. They dread the festive December days because you are supposed to share them with others. They feel they have to be cheery all the time, but aren’t. Some of them don’t even want to admit that they spent Christmas alone, because they feel ashamed.

Others feel deprived because they don’t have the extra money to spend on a Christmas dinner or a tree. Seeing all the Christmassy stuff in stores and supermarkets only makes things worse.

Other people feel they have to do way to much. They feel they need to plan and cook dinners, invite relatives, do things for the church, clean their house top till bottom, buy presents, make flower arrangements, buy a tree and decorate it. When asked if there wasn’t a possibility to delegate some of this chores the answer was no. Some people feel overly responsible.

Some people even hate to spend their Christmas with their family.

Apparently there are tons of reasons to dislike December, but isn’t Christmas just what you make of it! I think a lot of problems would be solved if people just did the things they loved to do. Don’t go to the big family dinner if you really don’t want too. If you want to spend Christmas on your own for once, just do it. No money for a tree, check which restaurant or offices have a tree. Are they closed around Christmas? If they are, they will probably throw their tree out just before Christmas. Want to stay in bed and enjoy an all-day breakfast buffet, be my guest. If you don’t have the funds to host a grand dinner, eat what you normally eat but prepare the food in a different way. Just enjoy your perfect Christmas, just the way you like it. Forget about the Christmas that is dictated in the movies and books. Christmas is about love, fun, you, enjoyment, relaxation, peace and tranquillity and wellbeing. It’s not about obligations, being obliged to, must, long faces and stress. Christmas……make sure you can say ‘I enjoyed it my way’ :)

Getting into the spirit of things.

Finally…. It’s time to embrace the Christmas spirit. Yeah, yeah I know, we Dutch folks are a bit late, but we have the Sinterklaas celebration first. And it is actually ‘not done’ to have anything Christmassy around (or inside) your house before Sinterklaas has left Dutch soil. The old hombre left for Spain on December 6th, so now it’s time to deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, we are feeling O so jolly, Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la :) Or in other words, time to buy a tree, decorate the place you call home and send out the Christmas cards.

So today I set out to buy the perfect Christmas tree and I found one…..wooooo hooooo!! I also bought most of my cards today. I just need to buy a special one for my Mom and then I’m all done. Well at least were the tree and cards are concerned. I’m so happy I could almost do a happy dance :) Yeah, yeah, I know I’m a bit silly, but I really do love Christmas. I like the smell of the tree, the fairy lights, the candles, Christmas cards and on certain days I can almost really enjoy the cheesiest Christmas songs :) As a said: a bit silly :þ

Computer Technology

The vibe, the spirits and other stuff.

The last few weeks I’ve been getting a strange vibe. I couldn’t actually place it and that is a bit odd, because under normal circumstances that wouldn’t be much of a problem for me. A few days I ago however, I got the sensation that the strange vibe had something to do with Internet. Someone is feeling insecure and unsettled and that has something to do with my presence. So if there is anyone out there with these feelings, just say so. I’ll stop reading your blog, I’ll not leave comments, whatever….. It’s not like I’m addicted or anything :) Just leave a message in the comment section or if you have my email address, drop me a short message.

This might all seem weird but I’m a bit weird ;) I can feel things, see things! I can actually say I have a bit of a strange gift or should I say talent? Actually I don’t know what to call it because I don’t really see it as a gift; it’s just something I have. Nothing special!

What is this thing I am talking about? I can easily pick up feelings from other people, mostly my best friends or close relatives. For example I know when people are lying or insincere, I know when they are sad or in serious trouble. See, nothing special! But what makes it a bit special is that I can also feel this when they are nowhere near me. And NO, I’m not clairvoyant, maybe I could be if I really tried, but I choose not too.

One night I couldn’t sleep, I was tossing and turning, sweating and I felt really worried but there was nothing to worry about. I tried meditating but that couldn’t ease my worried mind. So I started focussing on the feelings I had and started to ask myself questions like ‘What is going on? Why are you so worried? Can I help?’ Of course my questions weren’t answered.
But when I returned to my bed it suddenly came (I have no other word for it) to me. One of my best friends, who lives in Amsterdam, was having serious problems. At first I felt really relieved because I knew who was feeling bad, but then I was getting worried. Should I call, or not? I grabbed my cell phone, put it down again, grabbed it again and then suddenly I knew that I had to make the call. And I was right, my friend was in trouble. I will not go into the sort of trouble, because it doesn’t feel right. It was my friend’s thing.

Picking up feelings is not the only thing I’m “blessed” with. I can sometimes feel the presence of things that might be ghost or spirits…. I don’t know. I felt that someone left when I moved into my first apartment, it actually walked passed me. I’ve been hugged when I was depressed. Someone stroked my hair and was comforting me, when I was really sad. I have seen things (it is more a shape, not a person like figure) floating through my living room, just hanging out :) During all these experiences I was alone. Some other experiences: My grandmother paid me a visit just before she died. And both, my brother and I knew that our father would die the moment he did. This probably sounds freaky. Some of you might even think that it is scary, but it is not. I can only say that it almost feels peaceful. I can’t really think of a better way to describe it.

Okay, maybe now I’m just tooo weird. That’s okay…. I can only repeat what I said earlier: If you feel unsettled, don’t want me to read your blog or whatever…… just say so.

For Nutella-lovers a ‘must have’ this holiday season.

The largest jar Nutella I have ever seen. It cost almost 20 euros and weighs 3 kilos (6.6 pound). Oh and it comes with a nice box so it can be easily wrapped.

Just plain stupid

Last weekend I was reading some entries on the 43things site and I came across an entry from a girl who is trying to lose some weight. There is nothing wrong with people trying to lose weight if they are doing it the sensible way. Hey, I even encourage it if they are really overweight. I cheer them on or I try to give them some advice, but this was a different story.

This girl was keeping a progress journal and here is what she consumed on one day:
Food intake: 3 apples,1 orange,1 ltr water,2 cup coffee
Exercise: 1 hr
Note: things not done
1)3 hr exercise
Rate this day: bad

How can anyone live on that? I left some comments, trying to stop her but she just wouldn’t listen to me. Or did she listen to me; I haven’t seen any new entries in her progress journal.

As it turns out there is a really scary group who just have one aim and that is to be skinny. And they don’t mean just skinny skinny, but anorexia skinny. They are encouraging each other not to eat and to weigh less than 100lbs! It’s awful! Here is a link so you can see for yourself.

Stupid girls are just dying to become anorexic. One of my best friends is anorexic. She has been hospitalized many times and is doing so much better now, but according to her she will be never be able to say that she has overcome anorexia nervosa. Every day is a battle, but she is still winning. I sincerely hope these girls will see the light and stop this death-defying nonsense.

Buying gifts for Christmas is always a tough job. What to buy for all those people? Children always want more toys, so that’s easy, but what do you buy for an adult. Some nicely decorated scented candles, a bottle of wine, bathrobe, slippers, socks, a gift basket or some flowers. Research shows that flowers are your best option. Candles are much appreciated, especially during these dark days, gift baskets are desired gifts too because a lot of people snack themselves out of a winter depression. Flowers however, give the recipient long-lasting sincere joy. This was the conclusion of a research team.

A group of women (from different age groups) volunteered for an experiment about moods and feelings. At the end of the experiment they would receive a free gift. They didn’t know that the receiving of the gift was the actual experiment. So after completing the bogus tests, a large box would be delivered at their homes and the researchers watched how the women reacted to the gifts. Of course everyone was delighted, but there was a notable difference. All of the women who received flowers reacted with a sincere smile, complete with laugh lines around the eyes. According to psychologists this is a real sign of sincere joy. Ten percent of the women who received a gift basket and twenty-three percent of the women, who received candles, didn’t show a sincere smile.

The researchers however were not satisfied with their results, so they did some other experiments too. They offered students a flower or a pen while they were standing in an elevator. Both gifts turned out to be mood improving. The students started chatting in the elevator, a thing they normally wouldn’t do. Students who received a flower became friendlier and even more talkative.

In a third experiment elderly people were included. Bouquets were delivered at their homes. In the following days not only their moods improved but also their memory. This last result was quite amazing but certainly not illogical. If you are depressed your memory gets worse, so when your mood improves so does your memory.

But why are people so sensitive towards flowers? There is no real answer to this question but the researchers think it all has to do with our genes. During the hunter-gatherer era a vast knowledge of plants signified survival. If you discovered flowers on a bramble bush you knew that you could return later to pick the blackberries. Flowers improve people’s moods considerately and that’s why people have been cultivating flowers for 5000 years or more.

So when you give a bouquet, you are not only giving beauty, you are also giving sincere pleasure and joy. There is only one downside though, flowers are a bit hard to wrap for Christmas and you can't leave them under the tree. Hmmmz… maybe in a Christmas stocking ;)

Special message for my Dutch readers

Geniet van een gezellige Sinterklaasavond!

(Enjoy the Sinterklaas celebrations)

Goodbye!

Last week my monitor died on me for the 4th time. So after replacing the fuse 2 times, replacing the on/off switch and replacing the fuse another 2 times, I finally gave up. This thing was no longer willing to cooperate. Stupid thing! Now it left me with no other choice, I had to find another one.

Normally that is not such a big problem, but I live on a tight budget so spending 300 euros on a monitor is not a doable thing at the moment. And sure I can put it on a credit card, but I hate credit cards…..I don’t have a credit card debt and I am not prepared to start one just because I need a monitor. So with just 100 euros to spend I started my search for the best deal my money could buy me.

It was not easy, I can tell you, but yesterday I found my new monitor. To be precise, it’s not exactly brand new…. It’s a 3 month old demonstration model. The great plus is that it still has 2 years and 9 months warranty on it; I can just return it to the shop if it’s starting to play tricks on me. Another great plus was the price; I didn’t need to spend all of my 100 euros :)

So now I’m looking at my new screen. It takes a bit of getting use to, this one is bigger, the colors are different and I miss the Black Trinitron qualities (it was a Sony) from my old screen. Yeah, yeah, I know it was an ancient monitor ;) But I loved it and I was really attached to it. It was hard to say goodbye, but I did! I hugged it lovingly, wiped a tear from my eye and said my final goodbye! Bye, bye!!

Dumbest dog ever!

This is probably the dumbest dog you'll ever see!

Ancient ears!?

This afternoon, while I was walking home from doing the things I usually do on a Saturday, I was listening to some music. Great things, those new mobile phones with built-in radio and MP3player (and cameras, but that is another story). So I was walking, listing to the radio secretly singing along with some songs and then it suddenly hit me. There was something annoying to this too. Was I forcing people to listen to my terrible singing? No I wasn’t! I was doing that secretly remember :) So, what then? Well, I suddenly noticed that my earphones didn’t fit my ear. Every few paces I had to push one of those things back into my ear because it was starting to slip out. Hmmmz… maybe I should wear them the other way around? So I put the left thingy in my right ear and the right thingy in my left ear. (Did I write that right? I just have to check, because before you know it I’ll end up with two thingies in one ear….left/right, right/left ….well I guess I stated that correctly!). There was some improvement, the left one was staying put in my right ear…hurray! The other one still had the desire to leave my ear and that provided me with some food for thought because I suddenly realized that I always had this sort of problems with earphones.

It all started in the days of the Walkman. In the beginning they were supplied with regular headphones but later on you could only get them with the earphones. And that was also the moment my earphone problem started. The earphones are just not made to fit the shape of my ears….or should I say ear, because there is always one thingy that does not fit. I tried different brands over the years but they are all the same. Only Sony had a pair, years ago, that fitted snug in my ears, but the newer models doesn’t. Ehmmm… Do I have a handicapped ear; is it a deformity or something? Or maybe, just maybe, my ears are just too ancient for these modern times. Have ears evolved so dramatically the last few years that my ears have to be placed in the category ancient ears? Well, I guess I’ll never know. I’ll just have to learn to live with my deformed ear….booohoooo! Just kidding, I still love my ear! Deformed or not!…I could always try the new inner earphones that recently came available for my phone.

Post-it!

Earlier this week I adopted a goal and added it to my 43Things list: Write anonymous, loving post-its for strangers to find. What you do is you write inspiring messages of self-esteem, love, peace and downright weirdness on a post-it. (you can even decorate them if you want) and then find interesting places to leave them. Some of the more interesting places are: inside the pockets of unsold clothing, in the receipt slot of an ATM, under windscreen wipers, in unsold shoes and in books at the library.

Actually this is just another RAK (Random Act of Kindness)…. But I can’t help it; I just love to spread joy and love. If I can bring a smile to only one person’s face by doing this, that would be brilliant! Man, I am born in the wrong era; I should have been born earlier then I would probably be a hippie! Ehmm… I have a hard time imagining me in a flower dress with long hair, wearing Patouli and smoking a joint. I have even a harder time imaging all the other stuff that was going on way back then. But let’s return to the subject. Focus, Dakota, focus! Okay :(

I bought the post-its yesterday and now I’m thinking about original, inspiring, nice messages. That shouldn’t be that hard, but it’s a bit more difficult if you don’t know who is going to find your message. The messages have to be suitable for man, woman and child.

I’m also going to do something else. Every year I buy way too many Christmas cards and they always end up in a box, never to be used again. So why not just leave them for a stranger to find as well :) In addition I’m going to drop some of them off at the nearby Hospital; there are always patients who never receive cards, so maybe I can brighten their day too.

I will keep you posted :) Let’s spread some peace, love, warmth and happiness in these dark days before Christmas.

‘You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one, I hope some day you'll join us, And the world will live as one.’ Imagine – John Lennon

Photo “stolen” from Mirielle post on 43Things

Its ‘I've learned’ – Friday again!

I’ve learned – That I can skip this weekly thing if I want to blog about something else :Þ
And this week I want to blog about something different.

The special offer!

Yesterday I had a bit of a weird telephone conversation and it went something like this:

Guy: Hi, I’m from UPC, your cable company.
Me : Hi….
Guy: Is this a convenient time for you?
Me : Not if you are going to sell me something.
Guy: No I’m not going to sell you something BUT I do have a special offer for you, YOU our valued costumer.
Me : No you don’t
Guy: Yes, I have
Me : No you don’t!
Guy: Yes, I have!
Me : No you don’t!!
Guy: Yes, I have!!
Me : NO, you don’t!!!
Guy:………………. Yes, I tell you, I DO have a very special offer you, YOU our valued costumer.
Me : No, you don’t have a very special offer ME, your valued costumer because I am NOT one of your costumers!
Guy: You are ONE of our costumers, the PC said so.
Me : Wow! You have a talking PC!! Were can I get one?
Guy: grrr… No, I don’t have a talking PC…..grrr….but I have your information on my screen and you are one of our customer.
Me : No I’m not, you’ve disconnected my cable without a reason or warning a year ago and you never reconnected me again. As a matter of fact, I’m still waiting for the apologies.
Guy: …………..
Me : Oh, no apologies? Fine........
Guy: I just don’t understand it! What happened? Can you explain this to me?
Me: Yes I can, but I won’t!! Trying to explain the situation has cost me enough energy, so as I told the last cable guy, I don’t want you cable anymore, actually... you can stick it where the sun don’t shine!
Guy: …………..
Me : Okay, can you please make sure that my information is removed from your database? Have a nice day! Goodbye!

World Aids Day!

For more information, support or donations, click the banners.

The bath!

Just click on the cartoon to view the larger image!

Dead normal!

Warning: This is little post about death. I know a lot of people don’t want to think about it or want to read about it, so if you are one of these people…stop reading.

"When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries." ~Kabir

Ever since I was a little kid I’ve been sort of fascinated with death. I know it’s a bit morbid, but pretty early in life I learned that dying is just part of life or to be more precise the end of it. My parents never were secretive about that. It doesn’t matter if you old, young, sick, healthy, rich or poor, one thing is for sure: 1 day you die! And another thing that is certain is that you have to do this by yourself. Of course you can be surrounded by people, but the actual thing itself you have to do all on your own (as if you have a choice). That is actually a bit strange because all other things in life you can share, if you want too. You can share your bed with someone, enjoy a meal together, share thoughts, make love to someone and do all the things you want to do with someone, but dying you can’t share.

Last week I was reading an article about death and how it was part of life. Of course the article had nothing new to report. What can you really say about dying? You just stop functioning. It would be much more interesting to know what happens to people after death, but that is a question that has never been answered with certainty. Is there such a thing as an afterlife or does reincarnation exists? Or is the end, definitely the end? Does all consciousness ceases to exist at death, is death itself ultimately the exact same experience as prior to conception? I think it al depends on your background, your religion or lifestyle.

It would be nice if there was something after this. Not because I want it, but for the sake of all those religious people. It would be a bit of a bummer to find nothing on the other side, isn’t it? Do I believe there is something? No, not really! Does a soul evaporate? I’m still not sure about that one. I think (or believe) I’ve been visited by spirits several times (oh, a revelation!) Does reincarnation exist? It would be nice natural way of recycling!

As you can see, I’m still not sure about the issue. There is still a lot to think about, but that’s okay. At the end of my journey (a.k.a. life) all will be revealed.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it SNOW!

I was reading some blogs earlier and I really like the snow stories and pictures. Why? Well, I just love snow! I love the way the world sounds when it has snowed, I love the way it looks and feels and I even love the sound it makes when you walk. There is a downside to snow however and that is the cold that comes with it.

Unfortunately I live in one of the coastal provinces surround by petrochemical industries so the changes of snow are very slim. Most of the time when they predict snow, it means rain in my neighbourhood. Last weekend for instance, it snowed in the east, south and in the middle of the Netherlands. In the north the sun was shining and I had rain, rain and again rain. Oh and of course there was a storm…. A big storm! Conclusion: it’s definitely Autumn!.

But does that mean that I never enjoy the pleasures of snow. No of course not….sometimes nature makes a mistake and then I wake up to find that my corner of the world is covered in snow.

Here is one I made earlier….March, 2005

Sometimes you hear things that you don’t want to hear.

Saturday I was doing some shopping and while I was putting my groceries away there was this guy looking at me. Or at least I thought he was looking at me. Silly me, why on earth would he be looking at me ;) Actually he was looking at the people standing next to me. As it turned out they knew each other. After said their cheery hello’s, the woman couldn’t restrain herself. She just had to get one or two things of her chest or she would burst. So out came the gossip.

She was talking about a couple who had recently split-up. This other guy seemed to know that couple too, so he was really shocked to hear the news. According to him they were a cute couple, they looked like they belonged together. Evidently they did not, they were no longer together. The gossip continued. As it turned out the guy was still living in the house which they once had occupied together with their kids. The woman had left with the kids. Conclusion from the gossipers: The wife had done the dirty and was forced to leave.

The gossip continued (I will spare you the gory details :þ) and during this gossip rally the names of this unfortunate couple were mentioned. Shock, horror, amazement! I know these people they were talking about. How weird is that? And what’s even weirder… the story they were telling was totally untrue. I sort of know why they have split-up and that has nothing to do with the things they were talking about. I really had to restrain myself now; I was almost on the verge of saying things I probably shouldn’t say. So I gathered my things together and left the store, feeling weird and confused. This was actually the first time ever that I heard people unknown to me gossip about people I know and that was something I didn’t wanted to hear. And I’m not that naïve, I know this sort of thing has been around for ages, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear it.

Funny card!

From the Newspaper

Norwegian sleepyhead misses destination.

It’s not unusual for airplane passengers to sleep during the flight. But Tor Martin Johansen must be a record holder. He fell asleep on his flight to Namsos. While he was in the land of Nod the plane landed in Namsos and later returned to Trondheim. Tor Martin Johansen woke up suddenly when he heard the stewardess say: ‘Welcome to Trondheim!’
He travelled for hours and now he was back…… at his point of origin.

The Date!

Just click on the cartoon for a larger image!

Its ‘I've learned’ – Friday again!

I’ve learned – That I don’t have an all time favourite song.

Is that important? No, its not! So, why blog about it then? I don’t know, I have to blog about something, don’t I? It’s just something I’ve been thinking about this past few days.

I listen to a Dutch Radio show (Working Vitamins) every morning. They play a mixture of music I like, mostly ’80s, ’90s and recent hits. During the last hour there is always a famous guest in the studio. They have a chat about their latest single, movie, book or whatever and at the end of every chat there is always the same question ‘what is your all time favourite song?’ Most guests have really brilliant favourites. So earlier this week I started to think about this, what if someone would ask me that question, what would be my answer? And I honestly don’t know and that is pretty silly isn’t it.

I listen to music a lot and I have a lot of favourite band and songs, but what makes a song an absolute favourite. Is it measured by the amount of goose bumps, memories, recognition or is it just the sing-along factor. I just don’t know. Do you?

But as I said earlier, I do have favourite songs and here are just 10 songs (in random order) I really love:

Be my number Two – Joe Jackson
I can’t make you love me – Bonnie Raitt
Michel – Anouk
Let it Be – Kane
Leave the light on – Beth Hart
Till Kingdom come - Coldplay
See you when you’re 40 – Dido
Snowflakes – Angie Stone
I still haven’t found what I’m looking for – U2
Photograph – Jamie Cullum

I could go on and on, but I won’t bore you with that. But I’m curious; do you have an absolute favourite song of all time? And why is it your favourite song? If you’re willing to share, you can leave a message in the comment section (Duh!). And…….Yes, I’m nosy, I know! :)

A modem with an attitude.

A while back a friend gave me a new ADSL modem as a gift. Since I got the thing I’ve been trying to install it, but it just won’t work and it’s driving me crazy. After every attempt I need a lot of Zen therapy and meditation to calm down again. *Zennnnn* :) No, it’s not that bad, it’s just a bit annoying. I’m not used to the fact that I can’t get this thing to work. I follow all the instructions, I even got a new manual from the internet…… and still no luck!

Argghh! But it’s okay; my old faithful modem still works, so I can do my thing on the net. And btw I think I got the other one all figured out now. It’s a modem with an attitude, a ‘talk to the hand’ kind of a thing. My PC can say what ever she wants; the modem is just not listening. How rude!

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can’t buy

New experiences contribute more to your happiness then new possessions.

‘Don’t think that money makes you happy’. That in itself is not a sensational statement, but it becomes a sensational statement if it’s said by a prominent investment adviser. It was one of the 10 rules for a happy life, drawn up in a memo that was released last year. To pursue wealth, fame and a good image supplies you with less happiness then personal growth, good relationships and public spirit. As it turns out materialistic orientated people suffer more from mental disorders.

During an experiment, students were asked to state their life goals. They also had to express their feelings and had to tell how happy they were at that exact moment. Two months later they were asked about their happiness again, the progress towards their goals was also checked. The students who had materialistic goals like making more money, getting a better job, buy designer clothes, didn’t feel any better. Their standard of wellbeing hadn’t improved. Their progress made them happier but the student who also had personal goals felt better. They gained more confidence and dared to stand up for themselves.

So what’s the solution? Should you throw away all your stuff and live happily ever after?
No of course not, that’s overdoing it a bit! But a lot of people should invest more into experiences and not in possessions. Don’t buy that expensive new trendy watch, that luxury car or a bigger house. Instead, go on holiday, go to a concert, an art exhibition, go mountain climbing or paddle around in canoe or something. Now you’re probably wondering: Why? Well, there are four reasons for this. First of all: Possessions doesn’t signify a thing. Stop comparing yourself with richer people, don’t sell yourself short. Second reason: memories of experiences improve over time. For example: You went for a walk in the woods the other day. Your feet got wet and cold, you felt tired and on the way home there was a big traffic-jam. By the time you came home you were really pissed off. Never again! But after a few days you forgot all about that, you’ll only remember the lovely colours of the leaves and the walk. This is just a neat trick of your brain. It can do this with experiences but not with possessions. Third reason: experiences become part of the person you are. Possessions won’t change your identity. If you can look back at a lot of different experiences it will give your life an enriched feel. And finally the fourth reason: you will come in contact with a lot of interesting and fun people.

So don’t buy that new gadget, go out, enjoy yourself, meet new people….gain new experiences :)

Video!

This one is really wild, but make sure you read the info below before you view the video and turn up the volume if you can.

This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon. Watch the front end of the car closely as it clears the trees in the middle of the screen and you'll see the white mist crossing in front of the car then following it along the road....Spooky! Is it a ghost, or is it simply mist? You decide. If you listen to the ad, you'll even hear the cameraman whispering in the background about it near the end of the commercial. A little creepy but it seems to be authentic! Is the volume up, are you completely focused.....okay, play the video!

Keep the fire burning II

Last month I wrote a little piece called Keep the fire burning! Today I realised that it might also be helpful if you could recognise things that will extinguish your inner flame.

Your inner flame will die if you:

associate with people who criticize you all the time,

associate with people who can’t see your inner beauty,

only think in terms like ‘I need, I must, it must be done’,

gossip,

try to be nice all the time,

can only see obligations or alleged obligations,

lie to yourself,

eat too much all day, every day,

spend too much money (on things you don’t need)

waste time,

want to be somebody you are not,

fake it,

live in fear,

judge others,

are late for meetings, dates and appointment,

look for approval and confirmation,

don’t communicate,

judge yourself,

not consider other peoples feelings,

don’t take the time to appreciate the things you have,

depend on others to make you happy,

believe that others are better then you,

ignore your innermost desires,

are to accommodating,

set no boundaries,

don’t take enough you time.

Free yourself of (some of) the things mentioned above and life will be a lot brighter, lighter and warmer. Let the blazing fire grow!

The scarf sage - THE END!

The finished scarf!

Beady eyes

Last night I was visiting the land of lovely dreams again and I was snoring away happily. But all of a sudden I was awake. I don’t know why, I don’t know how but it happened and that is very rare. Most of the time you can fire a canon right next to my bed and I still will sleep happily until morning.

Last night was different. I had the funny feeling that someone was watching me. Funny feeling indeed because

I was alone,

My bedroom is not on the ground floor

Ghosts usually don’t wake me up in the middle of the night.

It took me a while to regain full consciousness and while I was struggling to do that my eye landed on the alarm. Oh my God, it wasn’t even 4 yet! Grrrmph! I wanted to go back to sleep…. This was not the time to become fully awake…..grrrmph again! I turned on my left side, plumped my head back on my pillow, looked around the room once more and then I was fully prepared to enter the land of dreams once more. NOT! Because then it hit me! There was something looking at me! Very carefully I opened one eye and there it was, or should I say there they were……two beady eyes looking at me. Was I just imagining it or was this real? I closed my eye, reopened it and…. they were still there. This was real! F**k! (excuses for the strong language!)

I always sleep with my window open and now there was an animal watching me through the gap. Dear me, good heavens, oooooh. I tried to scare it away by making strange sounds but it wouldn’t move. It just kept looking at me with those eyes. After a few seconds I knew there was only one thing left to do, I had to get out of bed and shut the window. A lot of what ifs entered my mind while I was making my way to window. What if the animal would enter my room, what if the animal attacked me, what if……I didn’t dare to close the window…….ooooooow! Before I could really answer all these questions and before I could even give them a second thought I grabbed hold of the handle and closed the window. *sigh* I had done it! No more beady eyes!

Slowly my heartbeat returned to normal while I walked back to my bed. Oh my God, what was that? Yes indeed, what was that? I returned to the window but of course the animal was long gone. Was it a mouse, a rat, a ferret, cat? I didn’t and don’t know! But do I really want to know? Nope! There is only one thing I would like to know or two things actually.

Will the beast return?

Will I ever feel secure enough to sleep with the window open again?

The answers I prefer would be No, the beast will not return and yes I can sleep with my window open again because I really hate to sleep with all the windows closed. I like a bit of fresh air, the cold in the morning but not tonight! Tonight my bedroom is going to be like Fort Knox.

Marionette action-comedy

Yesterday, over dinner, I was telling my friends about my strange marionette puppet dream. Of course they couldn’t stop joking about it. We made up whole scenarios about how everyone would look as a marionette and what would happen if we actually were marionettes. Who would be the puppeteers? Who would be pulling the strings? Would puppets just control puppets? Questions, questions, questions. It was actually quite funny to brainstorm about all the answers. When we answered one question, another one automatically arose. Fun, fun, fun.

While I was getting ready to leave, one of my friends handed me a DVD. According to him, it was the movie to watch before going to bed…..it would guarantee sweet dreams. I just put the DVD in bag and went home. It was still early so I decided to watch the DVD. Only a few minutes into this movie, I was up in stitches. Man, this guy had handed me a marionette puppet movie ….. very funny guy that friend, great sense of humour!

DVD: Team America – World Police (Uncensored and unrated) and this is what Amazon had to say about it:

'An elite U.S. counter-terrorism squad loses a member while decimating half of Paris in the reckless pursuit of Middle Eastern maniacs; a Broadway actor with a traumatic childhood secret is naturally hired to replace him. Oh--and they're all marionettes. South Park maestros Trey Parker and Matt Stone (along with co-writer Pam Brady) came up with this shameless satire of pea-brained Hollywood action flicks and even smaller-minded global politics, so don't expect subtlety or even a hint of good taste. Team America is soon on the trail of North Korea's evil Kim Jong Il, who treats us to a tender song about his loneliness before ensnaring Alec Baldwin and the rest of the oblivious Film Actors Guild (F.A.G. for short) in a plot to blow up every major city on the planet. Just as the mindless squad cheerfully demolishes everything in sight, so do director Parker and company. Throwing punches Left, Right, and in-between, the movie's politics leave no turn un-stoned; there's even time to bludgeon the musical Rent. It's offensive, irresponsible comic anarchy seemingly made by sniggering little boys. Painfully funny sniggering little boys.--Steve Wiecking’

Not exactly a movie I would rent or buy myself, but I really laughed my head off. I can’t help it; I love the South Park sense of humour. I went to bed feeling totally relaxed and did I dream about marionettes again?……..NOPE! I had a dream about raking autumn leaves! And that was just my subconscious mind telling me that it’s that time again, time to get the rake out of the shed and start raking.

Another Saturday.

Last week it was SuperSaturday today I can only call it Saturday and it’s a bit of a strange one. It all started last night. First of all I could not sleep and that is a thing that rarely happens. After a lot of tossing and turning I finally managed to fall asleep and I wish I hadn’t! Man, the dream I had. Nearly every person I know was turned into a marionette with strings and all. And now they were after me. Why? Because I allegedly stole a marzipan pig?!?! and I don’t even like marzipan all that much. But now they wanted to assimilate me and they were all chasing me with pieces of string, screws and god knows what. It was actually quite scary so I decided it was time to wake up. Luckily I am a bit of a lucid dreamer so I can wake up if I really want to. The only drawback is that the same dream continues if I go back to sleep again. So, the coffee was percolating around 7.

At 11 I went to the library. I picked out a few new books and went to the counter to let them be scanned by the librarian. As it turned out, 3 of the 4 books where reserved by other member so I had to find a couple of other books to take home with me. Bummer!

On my way to the shop I noticed that Sinterklaas had arrived. That is nothing new this time of year, but this was just a bad Sinterklaas. Way too much hair and with that I mean beard and moustache. There was a big waterfall of white hair hanging from his nose/upper lip and to make thing even worse it almost looked like it was growing out of his nose. Yuk! You couldn’t even see his mouth. Okay he was dressed like Sinterklaas, but he didn’t have the grace of the “real” Sinterklaas. I guess you could compare it with a really bad Santa.

When I returned home I discovered that the washing machine had been hungry again. He has these strange moods from time to time. This time around he decided to devour a bra and a piece of t-shirt. Hmmz.. I wonder should I throw my t-shirt away or is punk back in fashion next year? You never know, do you?!

It’s a bit like turning on my monitor these days. I’ll never know if it’s going to work or not. Today it went for the NOT option. The fuse had blown again. Fortunately I bought new ones this morning so I could replace it again, but it has become clear to me that there is something completely wrong. It’s not exactly normal that I need to change the fuse weekly basis. I’ll have to keep my eye out for another monitor. Bummer again!

But things are not all bad. The weather is extremely nice. According to the forecast it should have been really cold today, but it was not. I feel great and tonight I am going to have dinner with some of my favorite friends. So who is complaining…….I’m not!

Have a great Saturday :)

Its ‘I've learned’ – Friday again!

I've learned - That age is only a number, a cipher for the records.

“How old would you be if you did not know how old you are?” You would probably not be the age you are today.

There are different ways to look at age.
First there is: Chronological Age
This is the most common way to look at age. This is the one that everyone is familiar with. It is simply the time that has passed since your date of birth to today. People who view age only from the chronological perspective are somewhere between dumb and dumber.

Second: True Age
True Age is another and better way to look at your age. True age is basically what a measurement of all the biomarkers of aging would reveal about you.

Third: Appearance Age
Appearance Age is the age you appear to be to others. It no doubt has some relationship to both chronological age and true age. Yet it is different. We all know people that appear to be quite a bit younger or older than their chronological age.

But wouldn’t it be nice if we could just forget about the numbers? Does it really matter if someone is 30 or 45? I don’t think so. People are very interesting at any age. It’s all about the person and not about the number that governments and insurance companies require of you and that your Doctor knows, even if your boy friend doesn’t.

Spooky and fascinating thriller…..Spider’s House by Sarah Diamond

Book Description
When Anna's husband Carl tells her that he's been offered a job in a different part of the country, she's as happy to move as he is. While she enjoys city life, her second career as a novelist is going nowhere, and she hopes that in the small Dorset village of Abbots Newton, inspiration might return. After the move, however, she finds it's quite a different story. With few ideas for her new novel and little else to do, life in the country isn't quite what she'd imagined. But all that is set to change when Anna discovers something unexpected: Rebecca Fisher, the notorious child murderess of the 1960s, was the previous owner of their cottage. At first, Anna is simply curious and reads up on the case that shocked the nation decades ago. Yet the more she learns about Fisher, the more determined she becomes to reveal the truth, a truth which has remained unexplored for over thirty years. But someone else has other ideas. As an unseen enemy threatens her marriage, her safety and ultimately her life, Anna finds herself unable to turn back. By understanding Rebecca Fisher, she might just be able to save herself...

Great read but you will need some time for it….it’s not exactly a fast-paced read.

The ongoing scarf-saga.

Earlier I wrote this little story about my sudden urge to knit a scarf. Shortly after I added that entry I started knitting enthusiastically. In just a few days I knitted, what looked liked the perfect scarf. I tried it on immediately. Hmmz… something was wrong. The scarf didn’t fit snug around my neck and when I persuaded it to fit snug I couldn’t move my head. Bummer, this wasn’t going to work. I decided to unpick the thing and start all over again.

Just a few days later I was really pleased with the new and improved result. I couldn’t wait to try it on, so I flung the thing around my neck and……. was shocked! The result was the same! Still no snugness! Arghhh. I had to unpick the thing again.

So…. Yesterday I started my third attempt. This time it’s not the fancy design I was going for, this time around I’m going for a plain and simple scarf. If the result is not to my liking I’m not going to unpick it again, I’m just going to donate it to charity or something.

Serious comedy

This week it is serious comedy week on one of the Dutch radio stations. If you can tell a good joke you can win tickets to go to the Serious Comedy Night, a night were famous Dutch Comedians will perform. Man, I have heard some really bad jokes this week and here are just two examples for your amusement.

A guy goes to the doctor for a routine check-up. As it turns out things are not that good. They are talking about the result and the doctor says ‘I have some very bad news for you; you are going to die soon!’ The guy is shocked and asks the doctor ‘Doctor, How much time do I have?’ The doctor answers ‘just 10’. The guy looks puzzled and asks ’10 what? 10 years, 10 months, 10 days?’ The doctor just replies ‘9, 8, 7, 6, 5……..’

A husband and wife are married for 50 years. To celebrate this happy occasion they return to the hotel where they spend their wedding night. The night is just as steamy and hot as the first time. At the breakfast table the wife is absolutely glowing and with a big grin on her face she says to her husband ‘I feel just as hot as 50 years ago’ Husband ‘that’s no surprise, one of your boobs is hanging in your oatmeal porridge.

Oops… that didn't work

I’m getting sick and tired of getting this message everytime I try to log in at 43things/43places/43people. I have to try over and over again and when I’m finally in, I can’t post anything because that same annoying message pops up. Grrrrr!! Maybe one off my goals should be… quit the whole 43crap. So…now I’ve got that of my chest I can post about something completely different.

I was reading this article about success and achievement earlier today and there was a bit of a strange list at the bottom of the article. Well, at first I thought it was a strange list, later I had to change my opinion. First of all the article states: you have to understand that success is a state of mind. Success is not just the result or the outcome. If you can understand this, every moment can be a victory. Okay, I agree with them on that. Then I came to the list. They ask: How many of these achievements can you call successes:

Staying focused

Being optimistic, no matter what

Raising confident kids

Earning more than you ever dreamed

Hanging in, regardless

Passing on what you know

Finding work you love

Telling the truth, always

Paying off debts

Finding the good in being fired

Winning a tough case

Celebrating a milestone birthday

Exceeding your parents' expectations

Bouncing back after a failure

Delivering a healthy baby

Mastering the impossible—Mt. Everest, golf, the fuse box

Losing the last ten pounds

Meditating every morning

Accepting your looks hair and all

Learning to forgive your worst enemy

As you can see, even 20 “normal” things count as achievements. Hmmz… maybe 21 should be: Accepting that websites are not always available. I’m chanting this as I am writing this, so maybe later today I can call this an achievement too :)