Weekly finds – part 11.

Two interesting sites for people who like to travel:

The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a new glass bridge at the Grand Canyon. According to the site: “The Skywalk will be the first-ever cantilever shaped glass walkway to suspend more than 4,000 feet above the canyon’s floor and extend 70 feet from the canyon’s rim.” Brrr Scary!!!. I don’t think it’s the thing for me, it tried to hike down the canyon once and it wasn’t a huge hit! So, would you take a walk on it?

Going to visit a hip and happening city any time soon, then this might interest you. "Hotchpots.com is a well-organized and critical internet guide with only the most special restaurants in big cities. Hotchpots.com has a team of local spotters in eight cities already, who visit and describe new and special restaurants each week. From trendy club restaurants to crazy luncheon spots." Check it out before you travel because everyone needs to eat somewhere :)

And now something completely different for all the people who never want to stop learning: Free University Lectures . Categories: Physics, computer science, mathematics and a faculty mix.






And of course we can’t live without a bit of (strange) Art. Have you seen this?










I am going to skip the video-post this week, so maybe this site will be entertaining enough for you: Games for the Brain. “Play never-ending quizzes, memory & brain games to train your thinking”

It’s a new season and it’s time for a change!

Oh my, a change, how scary ;) Yup, I know and I am shaking in my boots…..NOT! Well not yet at least, because before I can change the things I want to change (a.k.a. move forward) I need to get some other things back to “normal” first. Things like my daily “start-the-day-with-a-bit-of-yoga”, “30-minutes- workout” and the “taking-a-lunch-walk” routine.

After my friends prolonged stay and the will-I-get-the-flu-or-not-period, there was nothing left of my normal routine and now that I am not getting the flu I think it’s time to start again, so that I can add new things (not telling you what they are yet) in April. I feel a song comin’ on :)

I hope you are feeling great too, if not, maybe this will cheer you up!
It's SPRING!

Spring!

Goodbye, snow and ice
Goodbye, dark and grey skies
Goodbye, storm and rain
Goodbye, SAD and your reign
Goodbye, WINTER!

Hello there, warm sunshine
Hello there, cloud nine
Hello there, beautiful butterfly
Hello there, lovely blue sky
Hello there, SPRING!

Goodbye winter, see you next year.
Hello Spring, I am so glad you are finally here!

What's your visual DNA?

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

If you want to read mine, follow the link and click the file folder.

Cartoon Tuesday: How to talk yourself into a depression.

Pizza du Jour: Mediterranean Puff Pizza

Last week I came across this recipe and I’ve made it last Saturday.
Verdict: Easy to make and just delicious!

Type: Mediterranean (vegetarian)

Serves: 2 (or 1 one if you are really hungry, or 4 if you use it for a snack)

Preparation time in minutes: 20 minutes & oventime 20 minutes

Contains per single serving:
605 Kcalories - protein 4 g, fat 41 g – carbohydrates 41 g

Ingredients:
375g ready made puff pastry, thawed if frozen
2 big plum(or breakfast) tomatoes
1 courgette
1 onion
1 mozzarella cheese
4 table spoons of green pesto
Salt & Pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to fan 200C/conventional 225C (or check the instructions on the package).

Wash and slice the tomatoes and the courgette, thinly slice the onion and slice the mozzarella.

Unfold the pastry on a lightly flowered surface. Roll into 30 x 30 cm square and place on a baking sheet. Prick the pastry with a fork.

Bake for 5 minutes.

Spread the pesto over the crust and place the vegetables and mozzarella on top.

Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Put the pizza back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.

Really yummy with a green salad.

Enjoy!

Mind, Body & Soul Session (#33)

Give more than you take

“It’s better to give than to receive”, that’s probably a phrase we’ve all heard more than once in our life. But how do you give something away you have not yet received yourself? How can you be a generous contributor when the whole world is trying to take everything away from you? Life/work/family/friends are taking your time, your resources and probably anything you might have to spare.

Isn’t it funny how we associate generosity with the giving of things we have loads of? But generosity is much more than searching out pockets for extra cash, volunteering our spare time, or donating our surplus stuff. Being truly generous is not about giving away the things we can spare; it’s about recognizing the needs of, and caring about others in a way that makes you want to find ways to give more. Generosity doesn’t have to come in the form of cash, it can come in the subtle interactions you have each day, interactions like holding the door for people, forgiving someone, being patient, letting others go first, greet a stranger, being humble, smile, show an interest, pay attention, or just simply praise someone. See? You don’t have to have in order to give; you just need to give in order to receive.

Huh? That doesn’t sound right “Give in order to receive”……we aren’t suppose to keep score, are we? You are so right! We don’t give to receive, but as you begin to give more of yourself, you increase your capacity to give and to experience love, joy and happiness. Generosity is like a muscle, the more you use it, it the stronger it gets. The more good we do, the more we are able to do and the more joy, love, happiness and smiles we are going to receive in return. So, go out there and love instead of having to be loved, comfort instead of having to comforted, listen instead of talk, forgive instead of having to be forgiving, be there for someone instead of needing someone and give instead of receive. Give more than you take…..be generous!

Oh and in case you find this too hard, don’t worry. Giving away some of the stuff you’ve accumulated over the years is fulfilling too. Giving something away, even your spare cash, can bring you deep abiding joy :)

Be generous, spread some kindness and have a great Sunday!

Weekly finds – part 10.

If you like parody movies because they make fun of the originals, visit the 30-second Bunnies Theatre in which a troupe of bunnies parodies a collection of movies by re-enacting them in 30 seconds, more or less.


Or just watch: The situation with iRack



Think you know it all? Think again! Put your knowledge to the test and try this fun and interesting game and who knows, you might even find out you don’t know jack !


Dead by beard?! Austrian Hans Steininger was famous for having the world’s longest beard (it was 4.5 feet or nearly 1.4 m long) and for dying because of it.
One day in 1567, there was a fire in town and in his haste Hans forgot to roll up his beard. He accidentally stepped on his beard, lost balance, stumbled, broke his neck and died!” This is just one of the 30 strangest Deaths in history. Want to know the other 29, go here.

The nightmare ends here! - A friendly update.

Yesterday, my friend got his lumbar puncture results back. They did find an increased level of protein but that was probably caused by some blood they found in the cerebrospinal fluid (the blood probably got in there when they did the first lumbar puncture and failed).

So according to the neurologist my friend is just fine. He probably had an inflammation in the brain area 8 weeks ago, but 99.9 percent of all the symptoms are gone now! He has to have a check-up next month and a new MRI after 3 months, but that's it for now.

My friend can start living again! Hooray :)

Cartoon Tuesday: Don’t ask so many questions!

Mind, Body & Soul Sessions (#32)

Live in the here and now.

Here is a shocking fact: 92 percent of the time most of us are either living in the future or the past and forget about the here and now. We anticipate future events, worry or think about them and are busy making plans. On the other hand we can regret previous decisions, can’t stop thinking about mistakes or mishaps, or keep thinking about how life was better way back when……

It’s a shame to discover that most of us are engaged in the here and now only 8 percent of our waking hours. Does that mean that you should stop making plans? No, of course not! You got to have things to look forward to, but I would like to suggest you stop dwelling on previous stuff. You can’t change the past (okay you can change the way you feel about past events, but that’s a different story), but you can ruin the present and future by worrying about the past. So maybe it’s time to let go and step into the here and now! Today: try to focus on the here and now for a day and see how it feels, after all it’s like John Lennon once said “Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans”.

Weekly finds - part 9

I haven’t been online all that much this week so there isn’t a lot to share.

I did find this video though, not an amusing one, but still IMHO a video that needs to be shared.



After that you might need some cheering up, so take a look at this. Cheerful and colourful paper art by Jen Stark. Just go to the sculpture section.





Or how about this? After the inflatable girlfriend, they have come up with something new…… an inflatable pub. Must be every man’s dream ;)

The birds are back!

Last year I wrote about the Peregrine Falcons who were raising a family on top of a radio/TV tower. Well great news, Mum and Dad are back and they are starting a new family :) Mum has laid her first egg last Tuesday.

If you are interested you can take a look inside the nest box or watch Mum and Dad come and go here.

No Mind, Body & Soul Session today.

I tried really hard to come up with something new today, but I can’t so I give up because I am too busy with taking care of my own mind, body and soul! I’ve been fighting off the flu the last couple of days. Up until now, I seem to have been lucky and didn’t come down with it, but I can feel my body fighting it. In other words, I feel lousy….. but hey I rarely get sick so I will probably feel better soon! For those of you are feeling the same way…..Get well soon!

To everyone else, have a wonderful Sunday!

Weekly finds – part 8

The oldest blogger in the world?
Olive Riley lives in Australia and was born in 1899 and is now, age 108 107, probably the oldest blogger in the world. She has a blog helper called Mike and together they post about her day to day life and her amazingly clear memories of her colourful life. And oh, she doesn’t call her blog a blog but a blob :)


Could you shutdown your computer for one day?
From the site:
"It is obvious that people would find life extremely difficult without computers, maybe even impossible. If they disappeared for just one day, would we be able to cope? Be a part of one of the biggest global experiments ever to take place on the internet. The idea behind the experiment is to find out how many people can go without a computer for one whole day, and what will happen if we all participate! Shutdown your computer on this day and find out! Can you survive for 24 hours without your computer?"
If you think you can, or can’t, let them know here

England Rocks
England Rocks is the perfect site if you want to know everything about a lot of famous rock cities like Liverpool and London and the locations associated with some of the greatest musicians and bands from the 50s to present day. From The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Queen to Oasis, Robbie Williams and Arctic Monkeys. You can also explore birthplaces and hangouts of legendary rock stars, locations that inspired famous albums and song lyrics, great music venues and the variety of festivals and gigs taking place around the country.


String spin is a nice place to get creative. Just click version 1 or 2, draw something and watch your creation evolve.



Feeding the Homeless

Half naked Wednesday ;)

Earlier this week I was reading a Dutch magazine called Quest. They used to call themselves a scientific magazine but these days it’s a braintainment magazine. But hey, who cares what it’s called, you are probably here for the nakedness. Well, do I have a surprise in store for you! Drum roll please….Hmmz… not the thing you had hoped for? Well, I am sorry, but you have to admit that it is half (a body) and it is naked (or at least I think so)! Okay fair enough, but what’s it all about, you may think. Well here’s the story.

Like I mentioned above, I was reading this magazine and it had an interesting article about Obesity.We’ve all seen the headlines like “Obesity is becoming top US killer” or “Europeans see obesity increasing”, so it wasn’t like I was reading something new or anything but seeing obesity in action was quite a different story.

The body scan shown above shows the body of a healthy lady age 36. She weighs 54 kilos and her height: 1.65 meters. Her BMI is 20. Below you will find the body scan of an obese person. This lady is 40; she weighs 113 kilos and her height: 1.67 meters. Her BMI is 40.All the yellowy/pinkish/light colours are fat. I was really surprised by the amount of fat in the stomach area. Okay it’s quite “normal” to expect that amount of fat on the outside, but on the inside too? I was a bit surprised. It looks like there is even fat in the eye sockets…… scary! I would never want to look like that! To motive myself I’ve put these pictures up on my refrigerator. A bit scary to look at every day, but fear can be a very good motivator :)

Cartoon Tuesday: Time to .......

Mind, Body & Soul Sessions (#31)

Create your own happiness.

Show remorse, choose to apologize.

Feelings of guilt and remorse can cause a lot of negative stress. Positive stress is a real motivator, while negative stress on the other hand will rob you from your energy and can make you feel really down. So don’t let the negative stress build-up and don't allow pain, or past mistakes, to paralyze you.

Have you ever made a mistake? Of course you have, we all have! No human-being is perfect! If you were the only one affected by the mistake, you might just consider yourself foolish, choose to forgive yourself and move on. If you were inconsiderate, insensitive, or even downright mean, i.e. if you have hurt or inconvenienced another person, you might want to make amends and apologize.

If you think an apology is in order make sure it’s a good and effective one. How? Maybe these guidelines will help.

Never, ever, apologize casually - Pick the right time and the right place!

Take responsibility- Accept the blame. Let the other person know that you are aware of the fact that you’ve caused pain.

Be sincere - People can spot an insincere apology a mile off. Let your tone of voice be warm and gentle. Don’t be defensive because it won’t help your case.

Make it personal - Admit that you've done wrong and that you've hurt the person you're apologizing to. Describe in detail what you’ve said or done to hurt the person. This will show you're not just saying "I'm sorry" because you've violated your own ethics, but that you’ve assessed were you went wrong.

Be straightforward - The best apologies contain no “buts”. Keep your apology clean and straightforward.

Don’t feel weak and vulnerable - A common assumption is that the person who apologizes is weak and vulnerable but in my opinion they are courageous and deserve respect.

Soup du jour – Leek-Mustard soup

I’ve tried this soup last week and I really liked it. Maybe you want to give it go too, so here is the recipe.

Type: Dutch, starter or main course,
serves: 4

Preparation time in minutes: 25

Contains per single serving:
Energy 255 cal - protein 4 g, fat 22 g – carbohydrates 10 g

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil,
500 gram leek, use the white and the light green part, thinly sliced,
2 potatoes peeled and cut into (cube like) pieces
Chicken stock (from a cube), 1 litre
2 tablespoons of sharp (whole-grain) mustard
125 ml crème fraîche (light)
Salt and pepper

Other stuff you need:
(Immersion) blender
Soup pot

Method:
Reserve a bit of light green parts of leek (sliced very thinly) to add to the plates/bowls just before serving.

Put the oil in the soup pot and heat it.
Add the leek to the pot and let it sweat for 3 minutes or so, just giving fragrance not colouring!
Add the potato and stock and bring everything to a boil
Let it simmer for 10 -15 minutes
Add the mustard and the crème fraîche
Puree the soup with your (immersion) blender
Reheat the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste
Put the soup in their serving bowls and sprinkle the reserved bits of leek on top!

Enjoy your soup!

Weekly finds - part 7

Recognise this? You hear a song, it got stuck in your head and you don’t know who or what it is? If you hum, sing or whistle it Midomi will show you the most likely results, based on the signatures of songs it has in its database, and it will even guide you to a store to buy it.




Have you read this? I stumbled upon this today! I don’t think this guy is ever going to come to the rescue and be a superhero again.


Forgot Valentine’s Day? Didn’t like the flower site from last week? Maybe XOXO Mixtape is more to your liking. On this site you can pick a (cheesy) song and send it to a friend, a secret love, your lover, a loved one or your whole address book :)




Sick of spam? Sorry I can’t help you there but I did came across this little Spamspamspamspam game. I hope you’ll enjoy it!





If you are looking for some image editing and photo manipulation software, maybe Paint.net is just the thing you are looking for. Paint.net is free; it supports layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools.


Oh and in case you gotta hide something, maybe this will help!

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 ;)

The continuing nightmare – update.

There have been some developments since my last nightmare post. Some of you might have already read some of this in the comments but for those who haven’t here is a little update.

Last Thursday my friend had to go into hospital for a lumbar puncture. Unfortunately they weren’t able to get any of the cerebrospinal fluids so we had to make another appointment.
He felt a bit better (his condition is improving but progress is slow) on Friday and decided to go home for a few days. Yesterday however he was back again, according to him because he missed my excellent cooking and nursing care ;) Nah, he had the new appointment today.

This morning we went to hospital for the second lumbar puncture. This time around they did it with x-ray assistance which turned out very helpful because now they were able to get the fluids they were after. Hooray!

Two hours (the procedure only took 15 minutes) later we were heading home again. You just got to love outpatient service! My friend will stay here tonight so that I can keep an eye on him and will be going back to his place tomorrow night. Hooray again!

The most significant results will be in shortly. NOT! It will take 10 days or so, but that’s okay in the meantime we can have some R&R and private “me” time :)

Cartoon Tuesday: I demand spring!

Mind, Body & Soul Session (#30)

Create your own happiness.

Every day can turn in a horrible day and any day can have its share of buzz kills. Your car wouldn’t start in the morning, you missed the bus to work, you lost your cell phone, had to deal with screaming clients (colleagues, kids or partner), your computer isn’t willing to cooperate or maybe you just got out of the wrong side of the bed. When nothing seems to go right, try to put a more positive spin on things by asking yourself these four questions:

1. Will this last forever?
Rarely things will last forever! So, give yourself a "this too shall pass" perspective and take control. Feeling helpless will get you nowhere, or maybe I should say: feeling helpless will get you depressed. So, take control and you’ll feel more energetic and cheerful. Remember: nothing lasts forever!

2. Will I remember this day/event a week from now, a month from now, a year from now?
In other words, how significant is this event? When you ask yourself the “will I remember” question you will probably notice that you forget stuff a lot sooner then you think. For instance: can you remember what you were doing last Sunday at this exact time? Or what you were doing on 18th of January? Or let’s go back even further: what you were doing on the 18th of February 2006?

3. Can something good come out of this?
Never forget that tough situations or bad days usually have an upside too, whether it’s making you stronger or forcing you to treat yourself. Even if you can’t see it in an instant, try to look for it anyway.

4. What have I done to get through other awful situations/days?
Recall past strategies that have worked for you. So, what did you do? Did you call a friend? Treated yourself to something you really wanted? Did you write about it? Did you do something that made you cheerful? Did you have some ice-cream? It doesn’t matter what it was as long as it made you happier! Remembering what works for you can expel all the depressing feelings you might have.

Go ahead, create and be happy!

Weekly finds - part 6

Want to mail something different? Mail a bunch of flowers for a change. Send your love around the world! Arrange the flowers, select a vase, write a card and send your bouquet! Okay, it’s nothing like the real thing, but hey it’s the thought that counts (they say ;))

Fabchannel is one of my all-time favourites. Some of you might already know this one because I wrote about it before. But, in case you’ve missed it here is a little info. Fabchannel is a fun place if you like and love live music. It’s one of the biggest concert libraries of the world and you can watch live and on demand music concerts from the famous Paradiso and Melkweg (the Milky Way) in Amsterdam. Fabchannel.com brings you a wide variety of live music in sound and vision. From upcoming acts to big stars (Dutch and international) playing rock, hiphop, folk, avant-garde and everything in between. They’ve added a new feature recently; Now you can create your own playlist and if you want, you can share it with the rest of the world. Just go to play list and follow the instructions :)

The Art of Quitting is something completely different. As some of you (might) know, life can be hell when you quit smoking. It’s not always easy and often frustrating. From the site: “The Art of Quitting is a creative platform for still-smokers. It’s a place where you can find and share the inspiration to quit. Because to keep smoking is easy, but to quit and stay that way is an art. Submit your quit-smoking statement. Do it to motivate yourself and to inspire others. No inspiration? Visualize your last cigarette. Picture it. What will it taste like? How will you feel when you put it out? Where or how will you smoke it? Make your last cigarette a memorable moment. Use it to commit yourself. Share it with others. Non-Smokers who read this are welcome to participate. Use this space to support us still-smokers.”

How to shower! (or maybe how not to shower would be a more appropriate title ;))

Men and their priorities *sigh* ;)

Grannies bloomers

Aoj had a nice little post earlier this week about her new black underwear and that made think of a question I asked myself last week.

I was at a lingerie store at the time and they were having a sale. Of course I couldn’t resist! So I went in to check if they had anything good on sale, but they hadn’t. All the good stuff was gone already……bummer! All that was left were itchy bras and something I like to call skin tone granny-panties (the kind that go past the belly button). Not really my thing!

I actually have underwear for every mood, activity and/or occasion but I don’t own any granny panties. So, I stood there for a while wondering if it was time to buy granny-panties yet, because honestly when are you old enough to start buying granny-panties?

When I was younger I always thought that there would come a time when you were going to start wearing big enormous knickers. At one point, I even thought that the time would come when you hit thirty. But thirty came and went and now, ten years later, I am still not wearing them. In my opinion they are just too big, too unpractical, too ugly…..hmmz… long story short, there is just way toooooo much fabric involved. So, again I couldn’t bring myself to buy any of them. Just to comfort myself I was almost tempted to buy something really sexy, but I didn’t! In the end I left the store without any new underwear but with a question to ponder about.

When (and why) do women start wearing granny-panties?
Is it after the menopause? Is it time when you are 50 or, is 60 more appropriate? Is it just a comfort thing? Is the time right when you are starting to feel old? Or should you start wearing them when you don’t feel sexy anymore? Or is it when you feel you can’t wear designer underwear anymore? I’ve been thinking about the question (I’ve to keep myself busy at the moment) for quite some time now and I still couldn't come up with an answer. As usual thinking about one question provided me with even more questions!
So, what do you think? Do you now the answer?

Oh and I was wondering……Is there a male version too? Is there such a thing as gramps-underwear?

A message.

“I miss you”
Almost two weeks ago I found this message on a fence near the river. I love finding these messages because they always make me wonder. I like to speculate about who left it and for whom. Was it left by a male or a female? Was it left by kid or an adult? And why did this person leave the message on that exact spot? Was it their special place (kind of an odd spot for a special place though)? Why did this person carved the message (I mean come on, there are a lot of other ways to relay a message)? Did someone die? Did they break-up? Did the missed person see the message? Guess I can speculate all I want but I am never going to get all my questions answered! But that’s okay; I love a bit of a mystery!

Anyway this morning I remembered this picture and thought ‘I wonder how this person is doing now?’ Another question that is not going to be answered but I do hope he or she is having a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Same goes for all of you :)

Happy Valentine’s Day!!
xoxo

The continuing nightmare.

Beautiful Boo left a comment yesterday in which she asked about my friend. So, I started to leave a remark there but it got a bit long so instead I’ll make a post out of it :)

The condition of my friend is pretty much stable at the moment. It hasn’t improved much and things haven’t gotten worse, so we made plans so he could go home on Saturday. But did he actually go? No, of course not……and here is why.

On Friday he had physiotherapy in the morning and he felt great afterwards. In the afternoon he had an appointment with my GP for his medical file. Around 3 o’clock he left my house with a spring in his step, feeling cheerful about going home on Saturday. Thirty minutes later though all the cheerfulness was gone when he called me on my mobile….and here is why.

When he entered the doctor’s office he asked the assistant for his dossier. ‘Well’ the assistant said ‘I can’t hand it over to you right now because the doctor wants to see you first’. My friend swallowed hard and waited his turn in the waiting room. Only five minutes later the doctor was ready to see him. After exchanging some pleasantries the doctor asked him about his condition. My friend said he was well enough to go home on Saturday. ‘Great’ my GP said ‘but I am still not confident you are well enough to let you go, after all, we still don’t know what is wrong with you. You know what; I’ll call the local hospital for a CT scan. If they (the neurologists) can’t find anything wrong with you, you can go home tomorrow’* My GP called the hospital and made an appointment for 45 minutes later and that’s why my friend called my on my mobile. I had to pick him up at the doctor’s office and accompany him to the hospital (my GP didn’t want my friend to go alone).

So there I was, sitting in the ER on a Friday afternoon, not exactly the nicest place to be on a Friday afternoon, doing the thing most people do in an ER……worrying! What a stressful place and even though we only came for a CT, they had been warned in advance, they still did the whole triage bit. Around 6:30 we were back at my place with a new appointment in our pocket for a MRI on Monday because they had seen something on the CT scan which they couldn’t place. Yesterday he had his MRI and again they spotted something strange and again the neurologists are not sure what it is. So in the next couple of days a radiologist is going to examine all the images and we will know more on Thursday. Hopefully they don’t find anything horribly wrong with him (fingers crossed) so he can go home on Friday. However if they do find something he wants to be treated in his own hospital so he probably will go home by the end of the week.

* I think he just wanted to cover his ass

Cartoon Tuesday: Winter Blues

Mind, Body & Soul Sessions (#29)

Create your own happiness

What would make you happy? A new job? A dishwasher? A trip around the world? A date with ___________________ (insert name of choice)? Winning the lottery? Any one of these might make you do a little happy dance, for a short while, but in reality pure joy and happiness comes from the inside out. Some people are blessed, they are born with the "happiness gene", but there is still hope for the rest of us because happiness might be genetically influenced but it's also influenced by the things we do. So, over the next couple of weeks I am going to post some things you can do to expand your happiness factor. Some of the tricks you will find here I’ve posted before and some of them are new, either way these are all tips that will help you to create more positive vibes in your life.

Adopt the habits of happy people
Great, but what do they do? Well, here is the shortlist :)

They accept change.
It's impossible to prepare for unexpected changes but when they come (and they will), you should welcome them and learn. Regardless of whether these changes are joyful or devastating, they will always advance you to another step on your life's path. Thankfully, life will go on, whatever might happen. If you can adapt and accept change, your journey will be much happier. Well I’ve talked about this before.

They refuse to keep score.
Healthy relationships requires a lot of giving and taking from both side. If someone is keeping score, relationships might fracture. The reverse is also true: When no one is keeping tabs, the relationship is likely to grow. So, don’t always expect something in return and accept the fact that there will be days where you’ll need to give more. Learn to do this with a smile.

They say thanks.
People who keep a weekly (or daily) gratitude journal feel better about their lives and are more optimistic about the upcoming week (or day) than those who record hassles, problems or neutral events. Need inspiration? This might get you started.

They reach out.
People who focus on others are happier. Being compassionate helps you to feel better about yourself. You can participate in a community project, volunteer, be a mentor or help out at a local hospital. If that’s not your cup of tea, maybe you can give this a go.

They like to bond.
Confiding in others is good for the body as well as for the soul. Of course there are other remedies to cure unhappiness but an intimate friendship with someone who cares deeply about you is one of the best remedies.

They choose optimism
Negativity zaps so much energy from you and comes back ten times stronger. Negativity is cold, dark and heavy on your soul. Being cheerful and optimistic on the other hand feels like a cool summer breeze. Optimism is light, sweet and airy. Try it sometime and you may never go back. Tips to get you started:

Try to change every negative thought into a positive one,

Let go of the “worst case scenarios”, always assume the best from people and situations.

Hang around positive people. Negative people drain your energy and pull you into their fears.

Make positive affirmations and keep repeating them. In the end you’ll start to believe them.

Weekly finds – part 5

<- Handimals.
Hand paintings by Guido Daniele.
Guido Daniele was born in Soverato (CZ - Italy) and now lives and works in Milan.
From 1964 till 1968 he attended Brera artistic High School and he graduated from Brera School of Arts (major in sculpturing) in 1972. Since 1968 he has been painting and since 1986 he has been working and improving his personal usage of airbrush. In 1990 he added a new artistic experience to his previous ones: the body painting technique.

Amazing weight loss story.
Want to lose some weight, tone your body, trade in your love handles for a 6-pack while playing a game? Try the Wii. According to this guy it really works!

Become an M&M! ->
Want to become an M&M? Well here is your chance. Create one after your own self-image or just create ehmmm.....one!



<- The keybag
Looking for a new bag with a difference? How about this one





The joys of winter.
This is a bad day......a very bad day!:)

Finally.......

I have some time to post something.

Winter has arrived and everybody seems a bit confused about that. They even issued a weather warning because 5 – 10 cm of snow was expected. Only 3 cm of snow fell in my area this morning and now it’s raining again. Hmmz… guess winter isn’t planning to stay long, it is just passing through.

My friend is feeling much better. He still isn’t fully recovered yet but he can sit and stand up longer. Today he even went for a short walk. Tomorrow he has another physio therapy session and a doctor’s appointment, so fingers crossed and let’s hope he feels even better after that! I am We are hopeful he’s going to be able to go home this weekend. Hooray!
Oh and in case you are wondering what was wrong with him…… your guess is as good as the doctors and therapist, they both haven’t got a clue.

I’ll get my life back next week! Sounds dramatic, I know, but when you are used to living alone it’s quite a change when you have someone around (24/7) for almost 3 weeks.

My other friend had her last chemo two weeks ago and is starting to feel lots and lots better. Last week was her worst week ever. She was placed under house arrest and wasn’t allowed any visitors, but yesterday she was able to go to theatre again. Hurrah! Oh and her hair is growing back already. She We were so happy, we even did a little happy dance :)

I am starting to feel like me again. I went to the spa on Sunday (all arranged by the friend I am taking care of). I took a relaxing steam-bath, got a hot stone massage and a facial. Afterwards I felt like a different Dakota….. who knows, it might even be a new and improved one :)

Cartoon Tuesday: The disadvantage of healthy living

Pooped!

I don’t know what is going on but I am pooped! It probably has to do with the fact that I’ve been taking care of my sick friend for 12 days now and believe it or not, his condition hasn’t improved much. According to the doctor there is nothing wrong with his blood work so the next step is physiotherapy because they think a neck injury is causing the awful headaches. Let’s hope they are right!

Man, I am so tired, I can’t even think straight. I am having a lot of trouble thinking in plain Dutch and therefore I am not going to attempt to post anything sensible in English. So instead of boring you to death with a very long badly written post, I am going to post something funny I was saving for the weekly finds tomorrow. How to prank a telemarketer. Enjoy!........nothing! I’ve removed the link because I received some complaints. Some people were redirected to a very strange site :( Sorry folks!

PS: I haven’t been visiting and leaving comments much lately, but I’ll be as soon as things return to normal :)