Three Beautiful Things.

Last week AOJ shared three beautiful things on her blog and she asked everyone to join in, so here are my beautiful things:

People with a passion
I love people, but I love people with a passion, even more. The drive they have, the way they can passionately talk about the thing they love most for hours on end, and their enthusiasm always fills me with so much energy. And it doesn’t even matter what they are passionate about, it could be music, art, children, love, books, cooking, life itself, sports, personal improvement, movies, nature, travelling, DIY, fulfilling their dreams, or surviving a serious illness…..just as long as the passion is real, my love for them grows. I can’t help it; I am passionate about people with a passion.

Water
I love water in every shape and form. Why? Too many reasons actually but here are a few.
I love to drink it (plain or in the form of tea/coffee), to swim in it, shower or take a bath with it, the sound it can make, it frozen, the way it flows, how it feels, the way it makes me feel, the way it can form droplets, to watch it for hours - especially when it comes in the form of waves, rapids or a waterfall. Water is just brilliant!

The Net
A bit of an odd choice, but I think the internet is beautiful too. It has brought me wisdom, fun, insight, a different perspective, acquaintances, friends and once upon a time a even b-friend, travel companions, products, information, music, movies, books, laughter, a tear to my eye, free lance work, courage, support, blogs, news, odd videos, meetings with strangers, art, photos, ideas, contacts all over the world and so much more….
Oh, and let’s not forget, it brought me you, my fateful blog reader(s).
Thanks for stopping by today :-)

They don’t make me go weak at the knees…….

but they do have a certain something! Let’s call it attractiveness.

Since DoGGa asked so nicely, I am going to answer his question in this post. For those who missed the question in the comment section of the previous entry: “I think you should add a 'woman'! If you were to, who would it be?”

Good question, isn’t it?! So here is my answer (again in random order) in another weird and scary selection ;)

Anouk


Sela Ward


Anne Heche (Marin Frist - Men in Trees)

Sandra Bullock

Charlize Theron


So there you have it, another scary (or boring) selection! Now that I showed you mine, why don’t you show me yours :)

I am actually quite amazed that I could come up with five women, so I took a little Dutch test. De result said: You may think that you are heterosexual but you are also attracted to the same sex. You are probably bi-curious. I never knew that, it’s news to me!

OMG, those eyes and that smile, she thought, her knees weakening…...

Okay girls (and boys too if you wish), Aoj is a bit bored today and fancied being a bit mindless. So now she wants to find out which celebrity sets your spine a-tingling and your knees a-weakening.

So, here is my weird and wonderful selection ;)
(in random order)

Scott Patterson (Luke Danes - Gilmore Girls)


Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Derek Shepherd – Dr. McDreamy - Grey’s Anatomy)


Josh Holloway (James 'Sawyer' Ford - Lost)


Johnny Depp, need I say more…….


George Eads (Nick Stokes – CSI)


Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, better know by his stage name Sting


So there you have it, my scary selection! Now go off, enjoy yourself and ehmm…. oh yeah, consider yourselves tagged!

Tagged!

I have been tagged by DoGGa, so let's do this.

A- Available or Single? – Can you be one without the other? So, I guess both is the correct answer here. Maybe the original question was Available or Taken?

B- Best Friends? – Jacqueline & Deborah

C- Cake or Pie? – Pie

D- Drink of Choice? – Water, coffee and if we are talking alcoholic beverages, I tried a Bacardi Mojito Bold yesterday and actually liked it :)

E- Essential item? – iPod

F- Favourite Colour? – Today it is black

G- Gummi Bears or Worms? – Gummi Bears

H- Hometown? – Spijkenisse, the Netherlands

I- Indulgence? – The spa

J- January or February? – January, it always feels great when all the celebrations are over.

K- Kids and Names? – huh….kids? What kids, whose names? I am confused here! ;)

L- Life is incomplete without? – Self-confidence and a smile

M- Marriage Date? – Marriage? I never got married and I am never going to!

N- Number of Siblings? – One older brother

O- Oranges or Apples? – Definitely Apples, Granny Smith!

P- Phobias/Fears? – Heights

Q- Favourite Quote? – One of many: “Life is not about how many breaths you take, but about the number of moments that take your breath away”

R- Reasons to smile? – What’s not to smile about!

S- Season? – Right now: Spring.

T- Tag 3 People? – I usually not do this but this time I will. Let see: AOJ, Lord Hutton, KJ’s Muse you are all invited; accept if you feel like it!

U- Unknown Fact About Me? – My body temperature is below average

V- Vegetable You Hate? – Curly kale and sprouts

W- Worst Habit? – Interrupting (but I am working on that)

X- X-rays You've Had? – Dental X rays every couple of years

Y- Your Favourite Foods? – Chinese, Italian, Mexican, salmon, trout

Z- Zodiac? – Libra

What do the books I've read say about me?

What would your list look like? I borrowed this from someone in the blog-o-sphere. It reminded me of books I forgot or want to add to my reading list. There are several books that aren’t on this list, that I have read, but just aren’t on this list.

Look at the list of books below.
*Bold the ones you’ve read
*Italicize the ones you want to read
*leave blank the ones that you aren't interested in. If you are reading this, tag your it!

Now I am reading: Love and the Monroes – Suzanne Power
I really can’t recommend this of book. It’s entertaining….sometimes, but that’s about it.

1.The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2.Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3.To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10.A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12.Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16.Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100.Ulysses (James Joyce)

So back to the original question. What would this list say about me? This list would probably tell you I’ve read a lot of SF & Fantasy books, thrillers, some of the classics and novels. But I’ve read a lot more; I am a real book worm! Give me a good book and I am a very happy girl :) Hmmz…. I guess it tells you.... zilch ;)

Year in Review, 2006!

1) What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Entered a photo in a photo contest…….didn’t win a thing, but it was fun.

2) Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for 2007?
I don’t believe in new years’ resolutions. IMO you can change your life any day of the week, or year!

3) Did anyone close to you give birth?
No

4) Did anyone close to you die?
No one close enough for me to attend the funeral

5) What countries did you visit?
None!…..A fool wanders, a wise woman travels, and a female with no money stays home :)

6) What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
A fun and interesting job (which will automatically result in more money).

7) What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Hmmzz…, very strange but 31 December comes to mind

8) What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Staying sane and on the sunny side of the street (it was kind of tough this year).

9) What was your biggest failure?
I was hoping to have a different life by now, but that still isn’t happening. So, I could say that that is my biggest failure.

10) Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh, I did the whole falling down thing besides that, nothing major.

11) What was the best thing you bought?
Not a clue. I haven’t bought that much.

12) Whose behaviour merited celebration?
That is a tough one…..still thinking about it……...

13) Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Too many people to list, none that I know personally tho – If I have to name one it would be George W. Bush. Oh, and I remember one “friend” now, who keeps telling me he is my friend but he actually isn’t (long story)

14) Where did most of your money go?
To stuff you need to survive on a daily basis and health insurance.

15) What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Having one of my photos on the explore page of flickr. Not a big deal, but I liked it!

16) What song will always remind you of 2006?
Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis.

17) Compared to this time 2006, are you:
- happier or sadder? Happier.
- thinner or fatter? The same.
- richer or poorer? Poorer.

18) What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I'd volunteered more.

19) What do you wish you'd done less of?
I wish I'd been thinking less.

20) What did you do on New Years’ eve?
I had planned to visit friends but stayed home in the end (after the fire).
Visited my neighbours round midnight.

21) Did you fall in love in 2006?
No

22) How many one-night stands?
0 – man, I am boring!

23) What was your favourite TV program?
Hmmz… Grey’s Anatomy I guess. I haven’t watched all that much TV last year

24) Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No because I don’t like to hate and I don’t like the whole concept of hate.

25) What was the best book you read?
“The Brief History of the Dead: A novel” by Kevin Brockmeier.

26) What was your greatest musical discovery?
Amos Lee, Snow Patrol, Razorlight, Ozark Henry.

27) What did you want and get?
Not much…… Oh hold on, I wanted to meet more people and I did…..so, I guess I got them.

28) What did you want and did not get?
I wanted to travel and I wanted my dream job handed to me on a silver platter ;)

29) What was your favourite film of this year?
Choices, choices……was it Inside man, The Devil wears Prada, The Lake House, Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Happy Feet, Flushed away?….take your pick!

30) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Absolutely nothing, I wasn’t in the mood. Oh and I (not) celebrated my 39th for the third time :)

31) What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My dream job handed to me on a silver platter ;)

32) How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
As non-existent I guess ;)

33) What kept you sane?
Sounds pathetic…..but reading, blogging and flickr helped a lot.

34) Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No one comes to mind right now, I am not into the “fancy a celebrity” thing.

35) What political issue stirred you the most?
Hmmz…. Guess that is Rita Verdonk thing: She refused to grant a general pardon to around 26,000 asylum seekers who had their asylum application turned down but who have been living in the Netherlands for more than 5 years. You can read more about it here

36) Who did you miss?
My best friend

37) Who was the best new person you met?
I’ve met a lot of new people and I am not going to pick one because in my opinion they are all great!

38) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
You can want all you want, but that doesn’t mean you are going to get it!

39) Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Back when I had a little
I thought that I needed a lot
A little was overrated,
but a lot was a little too complicated
You see-Zero didn't satisfy me
A million didn't make me happy
That's when I learned a lesson
That it's all about your perception
Hey-are you a papa or a superstar
So you act, so you feel, so you are
It ain't about the size of your car
It's about the size of the faith in your heart

[Chorus:]
There's hope
It doesn't cost a thing to smile
You don't have to pay to laugh
You better thank God* for that
[repeat]

There’s hope by India.Arie

40. Your message for 2007?
Love life, be different and live your own life. Laugh often and smile a lot, dare to take risks, listen to your inner voice and courageously follow your heart.
Swim against the tide, pursue your own goals, and make time to dream, never stop to wonder, always remember and never forget to be!

(*or any god or person of your choice)

Think Fast Survey

Nicked from Stu (or was it Aoj)

Think Fast Survey- answer with the first thing that pops into your head DONT CHEAT!!!

1. My ex is still…
a very good friend.

2. I am listening to…
music (Ozark Henry – Weekenders)

3. Maybe I should…
stop blogging

4. I love…
old Dutch traditions like Sinterklaas

5. My best friend(s)….
have a lot on their minds right now

6. I don’t understand…
men who think it's okay to harass women

7. I lost …..
myself once. That’s never going to happen again (I hope)

8. People say…
I am weird. Luckily I never listen to people

9. The meaning of my screen name is…
No meaning actually, just a nickname a friend gave me after hearing the Dakota song.

10. Love is…
a mysterious thing.

11. Somewhere, someone is…
actually smiling :)

12. I will always…
be here, there, everywhere

13. Forever seems…
a very long time!

14. I never ever want to …
lose hope!

15. My mobile phone is…
lying on the coffee table….far, far away from me!

16. When I woke up this morning…
I turned the radio on and stayed in bed all warm and comfy for 30 minutes so I could catch the news.

17. I get annoyed at…
UPC

18. Parties are..
fun, fun, fun! Well, most are!

19. My pets…
I don’t have pets. O hold on, I have a timeshare cat called Mies! She is my neighbour’s cat

20. Kisses are…..
priceless

Life experience list

I know it’s bad. I’ve only posted one fresh post and now I am already copying stuff from other blogs. Does this make me feel bad? No way, because I like this :) I copied this from Kat’s blog. It’s a list of 150 key life experiences and all you have to do is bold the ones you have achieved. If you want to copy it too, be my guest :)


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink - there were only 5 people there at the time so that was doable
02. Swam with wild dolphins – but I want too
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula - one of my friends has pet tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone - more then once
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it - if you don't mean it, don't say it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea - that was a bit of a scary experience. I was on a really small boat in a storm....but I survived.
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise - that brings back sweet memories
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables - I used to grow so many I had to give most of it away
18. Touched an iceberg - Does one of the biggest glaciers on earth count? Probably not!
19. Slept under the stars - Oh....memories again ;)
20. Changed a baby's diaper - Yuck!
21. Taken a trip on a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Got drunk on champagne - I don't drink all that much so getting drunk on champagne is very cheep in my case :)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity - Did that once, not doing it again
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope - impressive!!
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - Don't ask
27. Had a food fight - pie is food?! ;)
28. Bet on a winning horse - I only won 25 euro's
29. Asked out a stranger - His answer: "no, thank you! I don't know you".....ehmm duh!
30. Had a snowball fight - I love them....
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can - couldn't talk the next day!
32. Held a lamb - only a few hours old...Ah, so cute!
33. Seen a total eclipse - well I think I did a couple of years back. I can't remember if it was a total or a partial eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster - Who hasn't
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking - I do that all the time ;)
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment - need I say more
39. Had two hard drives for your computer - call me crazy!
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced - And I am never doing it again if I can help it
42. Had amazing friends - I have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country - not by choice, it was an accident …honest! ;)
44. Watched wild whales - no but I want too
45. Stolen a sign - No I didn't.....honest ;)
46. Backpacked in Europe - It's all part of growing up in Europe :)
47. Taken a road-trip - done this in Europe, the U.S. and Canada
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach - I Love it!
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland - no but I will some day
52. Been heartbroken for longer than when you were in love - No comment
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them - and it was a fun experience
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow - and drank the milk too
56. Alphabetized your cds - I thought it was a great idea at the time
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke – If you can call that singing :) Okay it was fun and awful at the same time
59. Lounged around in bed all day - memories again ;)
60. Posed nude in front of strangers - I did not pose!!
61. Gone scuba diving - around Aruba
62. Kissed in the rain - Sweet!!
63. Played in the mud - the sticky kind
64. Played in the rain - Who hasn't when you live in Europe
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites - in Greece
70. Taken a martial arts class - taekwondo, wasn't my thing
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party - A wedding reception.... I had a great time!
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch - Yum....I want to make cookies now!
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage - I sat on stage as an extra, not sure that counts!
85. Been to Las Vegas - a couple of times
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship- Several times
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over - and than moved back "home" after 3 years.
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge - twice
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking - I sang even louder when I saw someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback - Not doing that again....scary!!
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart - and I am not proud of it
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild - Yum!
118. Ridden a horse - Often!
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon - Only went halfway down
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S.
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat - In a African restaurant
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language - when you travel don’t forget to bring your hands and feet
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair - of course!....who wants to be (sort of) blond ;)
147: Been a DJ - that was fun!
148: Shaved your head - it was an accident, but in the end it did grown on me….
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

What’s in a year?

365 days, 52 weeks, 12 months, 4 quarters
378 posts, 886 profile views, 4543 page loads, 1 new template, 1045 comments
I learned how to change my template,
How to include things like flickr and the weatherpixie
I still want to change my profile pic
I’ve thought about quitting this blog 3 times
During this year 15 new people entered my life and they are more then welcome
I had two time-outs
I started this blog in English and Dutch, but now it’s all English
I posted 10 videos and even more cartoons
I laughed, I cried, I sighed, I sniggered
I suffered from writers block
I linked to games because I sometimes don’t have the time to write or becaus I am just too lazy to write
I’ve been annoyed, I’ve been mad
I’ve been happy and sad
I’ve learned a lot about myself and others
I’ve read many interesting comments and views

And I am still here.
Thank you all for being part of my life and reading my blog. I’m amazed that this blog still exists after 365 days. I never thought I had that much to tell and I never ever thought that this would be such a pleasurable experience.

---

Reasons to be cheerful:
1. All the things I posted above
2. My herbs in my tiny herb garden are finally growing
3. Tonight I am treating myself to BBQ-ed salmon. Is time to eat yet? No!

How Well Do You Know Me?

My blogger friend Phil tagged me so let’s do this one.
How well do you know me? For instance, did you know…

About the four jobs I've have had:
1. Gift wrapper (Christmas season)
2. Waitress at the beach
3. Graphic designer
4. Management assistant

The four movies I would watch over and over:
I found this a tough one, my answers could be different tomorrow
1. Everything with Johnny Depp in it
2. Lord of the Rings
3. Shrek
4. Team America

Four places I have lived, strike that..... I only lived in 3:
1. Spijkenisse
2. Rotterdam
3. Utrecht

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Grey’s Anatomy
2. Lost
3. Gilmore girls
4. Six feet under

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. USA
2. Canada
3. Norway
4. Greece

Four of my favourite foods:
1. Ice Cream
2. Salmon
3. Salads
4. Italian (I can’t pick a dish; I just like most of Italian food)

Four things I would rather be doing right now:
1. I would like to be on holiday
2. Walking on a beach
3. Having a massage
4. Reading a book in the sunny garden

Four things I always carry with me:
1. Money
2. Keys
3. Cell phone
4. Blistex Lip stuff

Four Friends that I'm tagging:
I usually don’t tag but this time I will.

1. Zoom!
2. DoGGa
3. Wanderingthinker
4. Snowqueen

If you don't want play, it's okay :)

12 Questions - Heart and Soul MeMe.

1. Are you superstitious?
Nope!
2. Do you believe in telepathy?
Yes, I believe that people can communicate information from one mind to another.
3. Do you have recurring dreams which keep your mind busy?
Check this
4. Did you ever wanted something with all your heart and soul? If yes, when and what was it?
Yes, now! I want that job!! :)
5. If you were another person would you be friends with you?
Yup… absolutely :)
6. Let’s imagine that the world end tonight. Who would you visit and what would you tell them?
There are so many people to choose from. Can I have a party and invite them all? No? Oh! Well, I guess I would visit one of my male friends. I don’t see him a lot but he is very dear to me. I really think he changed my life for the better.
7. Did you meet your soulmate?
Looking back, I think I did, but it was so scary I ran the other way. Well, I was only 16 at the time :)
8. If you could live your life again, would you do it differently?
This is a tough question, but I wouldn't change a thing. All the things I did, made me the person I am today and I like me!:)
9.What do you regret most?
Smoking!
10. Do you pray?
No, I am not religious.
11. When did you last cry?
Two weeks ago and it felt great.
12. What are you passionate about?
Life!

Personal DNA

Benevolent Inventor

About you
You are an Inventor

• Your imagination, self-reliance, openness to new things, and appreciation for utility combine to make you an INVENTOR.
• You have the confidence to make your visions into reality, and you are willing to consider many alternatives to get that done.
• The full spectrum of possibilities in the world intrigues you—you're not limited by pre-conceived notions of how things should be.
• Problem-solving is a specialty of yours, owing to your persistence, curiosity, and understanding of how things work.
• Your vision allows you to identify what's missing from a given situation, and your creativity allows you to fill in the gaps.
• Your awareness of how things function gives you the ability to come up with new uses for common objects.
• It is more interesting for you to pursue excitement than it is to get caught up in a routine.
• Although understanding details is not difficult for you, you specialize in seeing the bigger picture and don't get caught up in specifics.
• You tend to more proactive than reactive—you don't just wait for things to come to you.
• You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.
• Generally, you believe that you control your life, and that external forces only play a limited role in determining what happens to you.

How you relate to others You are Benevolent

• You are a great person to interact with—understanding, giving, and trusting—in a word, BENEVOLENT
• You don't mind being in social situations, as you feel comfortable enough with people to be yourself.
• Your caring nature goes beyond a basic concern: you take the time to understand the nuances of people's situations before passing any sort of judgment.
• You're a good listener, and even better at offering advice.
• You're concerned with others at both an individual and societal level—you sympathize with the plights of troubled groups, and you can care about people you've never met.
• Considering many different perspectives is something at which you excel, and you appreciate that quality in others.
• Other people's feelings are important to you, and you're good at mediating disputes.
• Because of your understanding and patience, you tend to bring out the best in people.

For your personal DNA go here.

Meme

1. Grab the book nearest to u, turn to page 18 & find line 4 - the book is “De Grote Jacht” (the Great Hunt) by Robert Jordan & page 18 line 4 is: “[…] dienden waren verdwenen, de Trolloks eveneens, hoewel hij die niet […]” Yep, I’m reading in Dutch for a change :)
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as u can, what do you find? A wall.
3. what is the last thing u watched on tv? Ehmm… Lost.
4. with the exception of the computer, what can u hear? Music, playing kids and birds.
5. when did u last step outside? A few minutes ago, to get the mail.
6. before u started this survey, what did u look at? The program for Pinkpop 2006
7. what are u wearing? A raincoat and wellies. No, not really! Just jeans and a black long-sleeved t-shirt with “It’s a sick world, and I’m a happy woman” on it.
8. did u dream last night? Nope, at least I can’t remember any dreams.
9. when did u last laugh? A minute ago!
10. what is on the walls of the room u are in? A clock, pictures, photographs, signs.
11. seen anything weird lately? I saw a guy walking out of a hospital in the middle of the night. Nothing weird about that, but he was in his pj’s and slippers and wasn’t supposed to leave at all.
12. what do u think of this quiz? It’s great for the times I have nothing to blog about……times like right now :).
13. what is the last film u saw? The Weather Man with Nicolas Cage. Wishy-washy!
14. if u turned a multi-millionaire overnight, what would u buy? An exotic holiday for my mum and……. I need to think about the rest.
15. tell me something about u that i don’t know. I have a not so secret admirer.
16. if u could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt & politics, what would u do? Make poverty history.
17. do u like to dance? Yes, all night long!
18. george bush – Same shit, different asshole!
19. imagine your first child is a girl, what would u call her? Mini MeMe.
20. imagine your first child is a boy, what would u call him? WAY (Who Are You).
21. would u ever consider living abroad? When can I leave?
22. what would u want God to say to u when you reach the pearly gates? “I think you took a wrong exit”.
23. 4 people who must also do this meme – Must? Must? I don’t think so! Do it if you like, skip it if you don't :)

Sort of tagged

No inspiration today, so I got this from Kat’s blog

Instructions: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so

1) Ultimate Writer
2) MikeChau
3) Jessie Griffith
4) Kat
5) Dakota’s Habitat

Next select five people to tag:

I'm not going to tag anyone but if you want to do this please add your name to the list.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
10 years ago…..hmm… I’m not sure. I was living with a guy, worked and visited Norway, Denmark and France that year. Sorry, I don’t remember something special :)

Five snacks you enjoy:
Chocolate, fruit, Ben & Jerry’s, cake, Digestive biscuits.

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
Paradise by the dashboard light - Meatloaf
Single – Natasha Bedingfield
The Scientist - Coldplay
You’re Beautiful – James Blunt
Glory Box - Portishead

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
I don't do the lottery, but I would:
have an outrageous party,
donate some of it to charity,
travel the world,
buy a house,
start something.

Five bad habits:
Huh? I don’t have any bad habits ;)

Five things you like doing:
Reading
Exercising
Blog
Learning
Listening to music/watch movies

Five things you would never wear again:
Leggings
Real high stiletto's
Blue eye shadow or blue mascara
Mini skirt
Pink lipstick

Five favourite toys:
Cell phone
Digital camera
Computer
iPod
DVD player

With a MEME here and a MEME there, Here a Me, there a ME, everywhere a MEME

I've been tagged by Phil for my first ever MEME :-)

"The rules are simple: now that you have been busted, you must confess to 3 things that you do that others don't know about."

That sounds easy enough but I’ve been thinking this over for a while now and I came to the conclusion that it is not an easy task at all. I don’t have skeletons in my closet (I just checked again....nope, no skeletons :)). I can tell you all sort of things I’ve done, but that's not the purpose of this MEME. So, here are 3 things I do that others don’t know about:

1) I do short meditations while I take a shower. Why? Because it is warm there , you can’t hear disturbing sounds and the water is relaxing and soothing. I can’t think of a better place!.

2) I watch EastEnders (soap BBC). I’m almost an addict. If I can’t watch it during the week, I’ll try and catch the omnibus on Sunday. Funny thing about this, I’m not even sure why I like it. Maybe it’s because it so over the top. People are pushed into graves at funerals, people are resurrected all the time, a wedding is never just a wedding and people are killed left and right.

3) I do avoid IQ tests. Every year there is an IQ test on TV and all my friends participate. I never do and never did. I don’t know how high or how low my IQ is and I don’t want to know. I believe that my IQ is pretty average and that is good enough for me.

So misery loves company. I get to tag three people……Let see…..Who will I pester with this? :Þ Choices, choices, choices. Okay, I have tagged the following people:
Kat
Stu
Zoom!

If you don’t want to play, that’s okay. Or as Phil said it…. if any of you didn't do the meme, I'd totally understand.

This was fun!!

I published this list on 43things and I had so much fun thinking about the 100 things that make me happy, I publish it here too. So here are 100 things that make me happy!
In random order:
1. ME!, because if I can’t make myself happy, who or what can?
2. No longer suffer from depression, been there, done that, didn’t like it!
3. Giggling kids
4. Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough Icecream
5. Days without hay fever troubles, there hasn’t been a lot lately
6. Gabriel Rios, I can’t help it his music makes me smile.
7. Festivals, the outdoors, the music, the people, the atmosphere
8. The Beach, the sand between my toes, the salty smell in the air
9. Braking waves, the sounds is like music to my ears
10. Quiet, tranquil, serene places where you can hear yourself think
11. Starting and finishing books
12. Toblerone chocolate
13. Discovering new talents in me
14. Decorated kids plasters, my favorites are the ones with Bert & Ernie :)
15. Snow
16. First spring leaves
17. Smiles
18. Giving small gifts
19. Giving and receiving cheers
20. Dancing
21. Laugh wholeheartedly
22. Learning, never stop, there is so much to explore and discover
23. Photos, I prefer black & white photos but will love every photo that is taken with passion
24. Nature
25. My first cup of coffee to start the day, just the smell is enough to wake up all my senses
26. Quit smoking
27. Meeting new people
28. Life stories
29. Good radio
30. Yellow roses
31. Gardening, getting my hands dirty
32. Meditation
33. Typical Dutch things like: Gouda cheese, drop, speculaas, kruidnootjes, hagelslag, pepernoten, polkabrokken
34. Jumping enthusiastic lambs
35. Clouds in a blue sky
36. Summer sun
37. Hiking
38. Christmas, the lights, the tree, the people, candles, everything
39. Sunday mornings, juice, coffee, newspaper and some freshly baked rolls and croissants.
40. Young chickens, all yellow and downy
41. First ray of sun in the spring
42. Singing birds at sunrise
43. Sunsets, I love the colours
44. Windy days
45. Kites, flying in the air
46. Sand castles
47. Art, paintings, sculptures, etc
48. Listen to music
49. Dutch cows
50.Thunderstorms
51. Memories
52. Lying in the grass on a nice summers day
53. Picnics
54. Friends & family
55. Love and be loved
56. Hugs, given them, getting them…..hmmm let’s hug!
57. Bumblebees, they are really soft
58. Candlelight, the older I get the more I like it. Seems that candlelight is the best lighting to have around when you starting to wrinkle :). Oh, and let’s not forget, it’s romantic too.
59. Cooking for a special day
60. Open fires, I love the smell, the warmth, the flames.
61. Kisses
62. Figuring things out without the help of others
63. Butterfly kisses
64. Fireworks
65. Balloons
66. The smell of fresh mowed grass
67. Staying in hotels or B&B’s
68. Movies
69. The feel of water
70. Discovering new cities
71. Spa days
72. Stars
73. Funny T-shirts
74. A list of 100 things that make me happy
75. Sex
76. The scientist and Green eyes by Coldplay. Hmmmz… Let’s change that to: Coldplay!
77. Sparkling eyes
78. Waking up next to someone I love
79. Greek yoghurt with honey and nuts
80. Parfume, Deep Red or Intense by Hugo Boss
81. Nivea
82. The feel of silk
83. Feeling sexy
84. No worries
85. Exercising
86. The smell of cinnamon
87. Walking barefoot
88. Vacation, long or short
89. Lingerie (for example: Undressed by Marlies Dekkers)
90. Seeing other people having fun
91. Colored leaves in autumn
92. Taking long showers
93. High Tea
94. Lavender
95. Receiving/sending cards, letters, email
96. Getting a massage
97. The sea
98. Ride a bike, sometimes it feels like flying
99. Wind through my hair
100.Completing this list!! :)