And what was good about today..

Today I only had to teach two classes and one was moved into the morning so I had the whole afternoon off!
When I spotted that yesterday I decided I would go to Amsterdam and see the new Pirates movie and do some shopping. None yarn related shopping.

I went to the American Book Centre and bought the new Sookie Stackhouse novel ( I know they are like the old fashioned romance novels: raunchy, I like reading the sex scenes, at least I dare to admit it..) and a horror novel. And the new vogue magazine, cos I'm a girly girl.

Then I went to see the new Pirates movie everybody warned me about. And yes, it wasn't that good. But I liked the clothing and the fight scenes and sets. And I didn't have to pay because I had a ticket on my cinema-pass. Would I recommend it to other people? No! I'm really sorry to say it but this is in the category "downloads when on dvd". It became to much of a kiddy movie for me..

Than I tried on a bunch of dresses in my two fave stores (sissy-boy and Noanoa) and didn't buy anything. But I did buy A LOT of groceries in the Chinese Supermarket on the Zeedijk. Especially finding the kimchi dimsum in the freezer made me very happy. I took a lot of different frozen dim sum, stuff I didn't even know what it was, and had some great finds. One was rice wrapped in leaves with pork, shrimps and chinese sausage filling. It was really good and made a meal in itself. So good one on that shopping trip. And I came home happy, so I would say mission accomplished.

Listened to the soundtrack of Amelie in the train, it takes me to another more mellow plane.

What was good about my day yesterday.

Yesterday blogspot was giving me a hard time, I couldn't make a new entry.

So here is what was good about yesterday:

My Tok swap parcel arrived and I was spoiled good! Great yarn, great buttons and pouch, lovely notebook and cards and the best hand balm evah! Smells all lavender heavenly! And a hand knit winter hat :)

And all was wrapped in cute colored paper, it was great! oh, and some flavored hot chocolate as well! I felt majorly spoiled.

And I went to the hairdresser to snip the deadends in my hair and I was afraid she had to cut of a lot, but my fab hairdresser Marloes always totally gets me and took off just enough.. I love her, she is quite expensive, but worth every penny.

And I had a parent teacher conference which I rocked! And that was the last evening I had to work for this school year...nice one!

Like living in a conservatory.

It is humid and hot. Sticky weather is what I call this; your skin sticks to everything! It is tropical but I still like it, I will never ever complain about hot weather. I bitch n whine about cold, not hot :)

My teeny weeny appartement has lots of windows, there is only one wall in my living room that doesn't have windows. When the weather is this nice I open all the windows and it is like I live in a conservatory. Sometimes people ask me if it doesn't bum me that I don't have a garden. Well first off all it's too much work a garden, second of all there is huge parc two blocks away and a small one two blocks the other way and the IJsselmeer is two blocks yet another way. Third and most important: I am a white person with red hair. Direct sunlight isn't a joy when you are fair skinned.. I tend to seek the cover of the shade... in my personal conservatory. So no, I don't need a garden, I have everything I need.

Today there was a great parcel in my mailbox, from Winterfi with a great book, some gorge yarn and two excellent pillow covers, I love winterfi!

One hour later:

The weather is shifting, from the waters edge a storm front is approaching. I'm sitting in the windowsill looking at the dark clouds approaching. My feet are dangling out like I'm on a boat. Lighting is coming, I can see the lights in the distance. The wind is pushing warm air in front of it, it is caressing my skin. It feels wonderful. The first big raindrops are starting to patter on the leafs and all the birds are hurrying for their coop. There is the first rumble.
Living next to a grand expense of water brings on this kinds of weather shifts in summer. I always relish the experience. Mother nature is flexing her muscles and shows that we are still puny humans. I can imagine that this would have been scary in past times living in a harbour town. Now I know my house is strong enough to stand against some pretty foul weather, I can sit here in my windowsill and watch the dark stormy clouds coming.

The patter is turning into real rain, better start closing the windows, bey now!

Tropical warmth; I love it!

A slight breeze is blowing past my legs while I lie on the couch typing. Someone is having a bbq and the smell is wafting into my house. There is chatter on the streets and people are laughing. Life is going a little more slow than usual. In here it's 27 degrees, out there somewhere in the 30's.

And I'm loving it! Slouching around in slippers and a skimpy dress doing nothing much and nobody complains! I had an hour between classes today and went to the supermarket to get ice cream for the kids because it was darn hot in my classroom on the second floor with a flat roof. I bought my personal favorite: raketjes!

The kids were stoked and they even did their work. Class 2A had only sixteen students so I asked the head-teacher if i could teach on the field next to the parking lot the last period. His remark? Do as you please dearie... So I took the kids out. They didn't do that much but it was fun and they felt like "weird" misses Wenning was the bomb today. It was fun lying around on the grass beneath a tree. I did teach about the EU but the kids didn't do their assignments and I couldn't care less. They will catch up in the next class or do it at home. It will be fine..... And I liked being in the field and standing there talking to them about how the EU came into existence. I felt like one of those field-priechers you sometimes see in pictures of "them olden days".

That is what I like about good weather in Holland. We don't get that much so when it happens everybody enjoys it to the max! And I like raketjes, I do.

Supa cyoot! SQUEEEEE

Mika is so cute I could eat her! She is soft and she smells nice and she is supadupa cyoot!

Know what else is cute? Mini ballet dancers! This afternoon the local ballet school had a performance of "Pinokkio". All the dancers of the school had a part. Even the mini ones! I was invited by my godchild Imani. Well, I'm not her actual godmother, I was deemed her fairy-godmother at the baptism. I am allowed to spoil her rotten and give her lots of pink glittery things and when she gets older it is my job to talk about boy-stuff with her and my place is her crash place when she gets into a fight with mommy and daddy. She is 5 now, so it wont be an issue for a long time!
Last week she called me to ask me if I would come to her ballet performance. The teeny voice over the phone is enough to make me do ANYTHING! So yes I will spend a sunny sunday afternoon in the theater looking at you dancing the role of a waterplant (!).
But she and her group were super cute! I kept on gushing on them... These teeny tiny girls in their green outfits, doing something that vaguely resembled ballet. But it looked like they were having fun!

AND one of my fave pupils from school was in it as well and she was really, really good! I will gush on her tomorrow in class.

Anywayz: the sun is shining, the temperature is rising and the summer holiday is only three weeks away. Of which only one I will have to teach classes. So good times are coming.

I love sunday morning btw. The sweet, nothing to do, quietness is what I like. People aren't rushing to get anywhere. I saw a father watching his kids play in the park and he was looking so content, it filled my heart with joy.

Tok mini meetup

I had a blast meetin Sidney today! She was so sweet and pretty, golly, so pretty!

We chatted and giggled and bought lots of yarn! And we visited the new yarn shop called Penelope. In which the designer Stephen West was knitting! WHA! Sidney bought both his books and he signed them, so lovely... and he was cute in real life so darn cute...

Even though it rained the whole time I had a GREAT meetup! Love LOVE love

I bought some lush goodies (yay) and some kidsilk haze and the new vogue knitting and some lace yarn and some chocolate.

I love me some horror!

Today I saw a few pretty good movies and one so crappy I didn't finish it!

Supercrap: Britisch movie Chatroom, boring, same concepts keeps on returning, not for me.

GOOOD: The adjustment bureau, not horror but freaky and nice all the same. I wonder why I never heard of it before because I really liked it. Most of all the decor I think, they used a lot of stately buildings and doors for this one and that was really attractive viewing.

Not too sure: Insidious. Wanted to see that one for a loooooooong time. I liked the first hour, when the suspense was building. After that they showed everything! I like my horror a more "gothic" in the literal sense of the word. In classic literature the gothic genre does not show and tell all, the not knowing, the suspense is what builds a story. Bram Stokers Dracula is a great example. For me the movie insidious showed too much and the fact that they had words and explanations for everything took the fun out for me. I love the glimpses of a scary face reflected in a window for a second kind of horror movie.
After saying that; it was a very entertaining movie, and I would advise other horror fans to watch it, but also warn them for the campyness of it.

Anywayz, good day all in all, worked, had a good class with 2A, came home early and knitted while watching movies. Tomorrow I have a meetup in Amsterdam with one of the TOK members. She is from the US, I'm kinda nervous but also looking forward to it

Secret gardens and gateways into the future

Just watched the secret garden movie from 1993. Wouldn't it be lovely to have a secluded blossoming garden where all the animals are friends to play with and magic can solve anything?

I can just imagine the climbing roses and the swing over the pond. The little deer snacking on a carrot and me lying in the sun while the birds sing their songs. Lilacs and peonies and lots of buttercups. Juniper and oaks all coming together into a great peaceful place where anything can come to pass... Just imagine...

Making great headway on Roshni's wedding shawl. I decided to do hers not in a thin flimsy lace, but a nice variegated jitterbug yarn. And the lace pattern looks like gates with gold curtains hanging in them and lights above. Since she will have her great big Hindoestani wedding I decided it would be fitting to call it gateways into the future. For she could use a bit of splendid life with the crap she had to endure with her family. So I'm weaving in a little magic while knitting, for her to have a great marriage to a bloke who will do her right!

..Photo made on the market in Batambang, Cambodia by me..

Tropical weather isa comin thisa way!

Whoohoooo, the paper stated that after this weekend the weather will turn for the better and we will have tropical weather! I have so many pieces of clothing and ensembles I haven't worn yet for that kind of weather so... BRING...IT...ON!!!

The kind where even your bikini is too much too wear and the kind where everybody is happy and sweaty! I love I love! YAY yay YAY!!

Doing a little sunshine dance


.

Next years classes, good news!

Today I found out I will only be teaching English in the next school year! It made my day! This year I thought several different classes and courses and it wasn't always nice..

Not only do I really like my English colleagues, but they are a steady bunch where the work gets done. I'm really happy I will be back with them, also since most of them are really friends of mine with wich I also hang out after school.

Lucky me, lucky lucky me! I ran to the person who makes the rosters and thanked him from the bottom of my hart. He had to chuckle a little...

Clean dishes... the lazy way

My parents were away for the weekend and asked me to check in on the house. They live around the corner.

Not only did I check in on the house... I took my dishes with me because they have a dishwasher! I took all the cutlery and the box they are in and all the plastic tubs in my possession and bunked them all in the dishwasher. Just now I collected them and they were soooooo clean, I love it. 

I think I might put in all the pots and pans the next time, and another time all the baking trays and such. 

Splendid idea my lady, why yes, thank you, I thought so too myself. 

Mika is chasing a big fly

UGH! Chew chew squish...

Mika caught the big black fly which was buzzing in the window. She actually caught it pretty fast, but now she is eating it and it is making squishy sounds... When she eats a spider it sounds like a person eating crisps... Would it be the same experience for them kitties?

The wind is blowing and last night it rained. The world smells wonderful! The air is filled with the smell of blossoms. I opened the windows wide to let the clean air in, welcomed it into my home.

Making gifts

Someone will be getting these by post in the next two weeks:

I think they look great aren't they the cutest slippers ever? Made them in one afternoon btw, they are the Amy March's slippers by Tiny Owl knits.

Cultural phenomona

Yesterday was excellent! Got home about one in the morning so that is why I am writing this now..

I had the last day of the coaching course I was taking: I got another certificate: nice!
My best friend Mariska was in the same course with me, and we spend a great day together :)

We saw an advertisement in the papers with all the concerts that were on that day and decided it would be time to go out. In the end we choose a concert in the Melkweg of a band we had hardly heard from: Enter Shikari.

We had a quick meal at Cafe Amsterdam (great french fries!) and then did our make-up. We had so much fun and put on way too much and I teased my hair beyond recognition. We looked good! I was wearing this sparkly dress I nicked from Maris her collection and she had on the skinniest skirt evah!

The concert was a lot of fun, not because of the music although that was satisfying in it's own. But the Moshpits were a sublime spectacle!!!

People were not only dancing into each other, but making whirlpools, and some were "fighting" in the crowd. We were on the balustrade so we had a great view on the happenings on the floor. I felt like a cultural antrepologist watching the spectacle. During the songs they were fighting and as soon as the song ended they hugged it out! Each and everyone who fell was picked up. The crowd surfers were safely guided to the front and everybody seemed to be having a great time! I was mesmerized.. I think I could make a great documentary about the "brotherhood of the moshpit".
But I would never dare to enter that pit myself! I can't imagine that no-one had to visit the ER after that concert! People were jumping off the balcony, that was sooooo scary! One guy even got arrested afterwards. Years ago a girl broke her neck during a Pearl Jam concert! Afterwards crowd surfing was forbidden in a lot of places. That is why I was surprised at first to see it again. But in this case the pit and surfing was very interesting and was even worth paying the ticket for the concert! Which was about twenty euros so very acceptable..

I had a great day with my best friend and felt really good biking my way to central station. I think I had a huge smile on my face! The thing is.. everybody is nice when you feel that way and I got some nice remarks by men also..

Great day all in all, great indeed!

New look

I decided I found the old layout of my blog too gloomy, so I changed it up and had a blast doing it. Now it is more flowery and summery and I think that a good thing with an antidepressant blog..

Today it rained, it poured down like sheets of rain. I found I am very much affected by the weather and I need to move to a tropical island and buy a villa where my whole family can live because I would miss them too much. And we would have a beach and once a year the turtles would come up to lay eggs and we could have bonfire parties except on the turtle night. And we would have a small wooden boat and we could go out and catch fresh fish and cook them on the bbq... yes please!

The world did look mighty pretty after the rain, all glittery and such.

I bought them shoes I saw the other day:

And I finished the kidsilk haze cowl, it is surprisingly warm and soft:

Recipe for love

No not a recipe for love... if that was possible nobody would be single in this world...

I can give you a recipe for coleslaw:

1/4 white cale (or half a package of shredded cale from the supermarket)
1/2 bag of cheese cubes (young if you are living in Holland)
1/2 a red onion
4 cornichons
6 tbs mayonaise, a sour one is preferable
Needed: bowl and kitchen machine or shredder

Put all the veggies in kitchen machine and shred. Put in bowl. Put cheese in kitchen machine and shred, not too fine though... Put in bowl. Add mayonaise to your own taste (I add two spoons of yoghurt most of the time) stir well, season with pepper and salt ( be generous with the pepper). Sprinkle some parsley over the top if you have it.

Take bowl to kitchen table, or garden table in this time of year, eat with friends and a nice glass of...
Enjoy :)

Sun and not working...

Today the sun was shining. It was a fine day. I got to work about nine, did some paperwork and graded a lot of papers about the Second World War. Some betters than others but most of them fine. Then I attended a team meeting, even took the minutes. After that we had a big team meeting about the plans for our school for the future. Most of my colleagues ( and me) hate these meetings because some wacky outside company heads them. But they are not teachers and let me tell you that teachers are the WORST students EVER!
The company is called Genstergroep and we somehow are calling it the Gangstergroup... We detest them...

Anyhow... My integration program never said I had to attend meetings. I chose to attend the team meetings early on. And a colleague joked today that I had the perfect excuse not to attend the gangstergroup meeting. I was/ am emotionally unstable!

So... I did not attend the second meeting. But somehow it felt like skipping school like I did when I was in high school. ( I didn't skip that much, I just didn't like PE outdoors when it rained and I was quite strict about it..) It felt wrong to skip the meeting but it also felt so right! Am I a bad person for skipping it? Some might say yes, some might say no. I however really enjoyed the afternoon in the sun and since I am trying to be happy again and battling a depression is an ongoing struggle, and knitting in the sun made me happy, I say it was good for my mental health.

And if someone at work calls me out I will just start crying cos I found out most men get really panicked by crying women and will do just about anything to make them stop :) All my seniors are men...



OOOH, and I saw some great shoes today! little booties by bjorn borg, maybe try them on tommorrowz?

Upgraded nyan cat: fantabulous!

Obi wan kenobi meets Nyan Cat, and it all gets explained. The force comes from Nyan cat! Good to know the answer to that age old mysterie... phew...

Me and my woodland hoodlet went to the park

This morning I cleaned and afterwards I went to feed the deer in the park. I walked trough the park with my camera as I have done many a time before. It has been a few weeks since the last time I walked a round and I loved it! As soon as I hear the trees rustling overheard and the sound of the water lapping against the shore stones I feel at peace. I stood and watched the water while other people rushed past. It seems like we don't take the time to truly appreciate natures beauty; we just walk past. We notice, but don't take the time to really take it in.

Well I did today and it felt good!

Look at the cute tokalicious outfit I had on today: My woodland hoodlet and my magic treetop bag, my recycled suede shoes :) I felt so RIGHT!

Waves lapping at the shore

Wind rustling the tall grass

 Lonely leaf on a woodland path

Like a place in a fairytale, I wouldn't be surprised if fearies flew past

Blackberry hedge in bloom; pretty pink color

To bed my dearest..

Confession time: It's nine in the evening and I'm writing this in bed. Even for a sunday thats way early to go to bed... But I have a great excuse. I won't be sleeping for quite sometime because well... something is keeping me wide awake! Got you wondering there right?

No nothing that easysleazy sorry... It's a book; a really good book.

I always read a bit before going to sleep, it's part of my evening ritual. So I read a lot of books. Once every so often you hit this gem of a story. Right now I'm reading a story so compelling I left my knitting on the couch and turned in early just to return to Leonie and Meredith's adventures.

I'm reading Sepulchre from Kate Mosse. It is a great story set in 1891 and 2007, Paris and L'Occitane France, but both stories are linked and are slowly opening up their links and secrets. I love a good thriller and this one is haunting me to push on.

So good night to all, don't try to get my attention: it will be elsewhere...

Presents!

Huh? Whats that parcel in my mailbox? I didn't order anything did I?

Oh, It's a present from one of my Tok friends! Lovely lovely! Hand made stitch markers that will kiss me every round; love those! And a really pretty owl card and two gorge glass beads. Like something from a fairytale :) I'm all fluttery happy with this unexpected gift!

I bought myself a gift today too. I bought great slippers. Don't you have enough shoes by now Marieke? No I have not... . A woman never has enough shoes and these were on sale and the Birckenstock slippers I was wearing made me walk like a freakin pinguin and these make me look and walk like a parisian lady. So there, I was in need of them!

Another present was given to me and my family last night by my mom. She hasn't been able to work since she had cancer a few years back. She gets a small amount in social security every month and she gets holiday pay like every other citizen in Holland. She decided she would take the whole family out for dinner from her money. It was a blast and we had a really good time talking and having fun together. I brought my camera and made an oldfashioned 10sec on the timer photo. It turned out how these always turn out: weird but fun. Both have their flaws and good points: just like a family does :)

And mom made a picture of me. I was so surprised how thin I look! And how big and pointy my nose is.. maybe I should become a witch when I grow up..

Teaching is a skill

I am one of those awful colleagues that will remark: "I don't have any problems with that group" when you are bitching and whining about the horrendous lesson you just had with that bunch of wankers.

I admit: I like the bastard boys and weirdout girls. I like to see what makes them tick. It involves listening to them and no shouting. That is weird for those kids. No adult ever listens to them and they yell al the time, cos well...  they're bad kids...

This year it is class 2A. Bunch of F-*&^%-ers if you listen to my colleagues. I however adore them! Today was the first lesson in two months. They all had their books ready, and were really happy to see me. They asked what happened that made me so depressed. We had a talk about pressure and not being who you are. I felt like they really "got" me. They also said the missed me and it was a lot less fun without me! I love these kids!
I had a prize I had to reward certain kids for work they did months ago and they took this funny picture of themselves: sorry for the phone quality pic btw...

 .....pretty girls and though boys....

When they left the class room was still clean and they all wished me a happy weekend, nice to have you back miss...
I felt all glowy happy when I went home. I love them kids :)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Well for me I feel a lot prettier after I had myself some pampering... The woman in the mirror is smiling back at me.

Rain was predicted today, but instead it was a sunny summery day.
This morning I noticed that my lashes had become blond due to the sun I'm getting as of late. After school I dropped by the beautician and he had time this afternoon to dye them! Oh, lucky me! The process itself is quick and painless, maybe a wee bit uncomfortable... But now they look so Monroe pretty, I feel a whole lot more like a woman. After I left that shop I went to the parfumerie to ask if could make an appointment to get my brows done the "Anastacia" way. The girl had time right there and then so lucky me! She makes my brows look like I'm from another era  :)  The kind where women would batt their eyelashes at a man..

I promised myself I could get a pedicure as soon as the tax refund was in, but it hasn't yet... Even so, I made an appointment for this sunday. Getting stuff like that done makes me really happy, so I will eat meat one time less next week, or something like that.

When I got home I dyed my hair, so now I look all sparkly and new!

Some people would consider this vanity or a waste of money. I think people should do what makes them happy. Some people get really drunk, or go out clubbing, others get kids and spoil them rotten, some like their cars, others meditate in India. I say let others enjoy their life the way they want to, if we would all grant each other half a meter of space, the world would be so much nicer. Stop hating, start sharing.

The city... I live in... only as I am...

Famous lyrics but oh, so true. City dwellers love their city. At least I do...

I live in Hoorn, it is a small city about 30 min up north of Amsterdam. We have a gorge old harbour and a lot of old streets. I live near the old town hall, so lots and lots of old buildings. I took some photo's of the streets I pass every day, you know, the small stuff that imprints on you even if your passing is fleeting.

Like the hairdresser with the glorious wave of red roses cascading of the wall.

Or the magically colored trees that indicate the start of the city moat.

Or the small patch of wild flowers at the foot of the small tree that is growing at the beginning of our street.

Or the view on the rooftops as you enter the inner city from the moat side.

As you can see we have been having typical Dutch summer weather. Cloudy, but warm, but not too warm because of the sea breeze. Where you have to wear a jacket outside, but don't have to close it. I love the light it gives in these pictures, it is so typically Dutch. A lot of the old master of painting tried to capture this light and feel of our homeland.

The good, the bad and the.... Pretty!

First for the bad of this day: I didn't set my alarm this morning and slept until 11.50! I was planning on being at work about nine -ish and figured I would wake up naturally. But no.... . Luckily nobody at work bugged me about it, and the first thing I had to attend started at 13.30. So no biggie, but still weird.

Then the good: I slept in until 11.50! I probably needed it. Then I attended one meeting at work and did not attend the second because that group wasn't helpful when I was going downhill so now they are not very high on my priority list. There you have it and if you don't like it you can put your complaints.... up your arse! (normally I'm quite a nice person... but making it on the blacklist is a pretty definitive thing with me)

After that I did me some shopping. And picked up some of my nice unmentionables who had become to big and could be sewn to fit. I wear Marlies Dekkers lingerie, pretty darn good and pretty darn expensive. So when I bought a new bra, the shop lady told me she could take in the back of my old one, and it would fit again for quite some time. And since these bra's are a 100 euros a piece that is pretty great news! Even so, I have to admit I like to spend money on lingerie. I buy that for my own enjoyment and nobody else. The ultimate spoil.
And I brought a painting I bought in China some years ago to be framed.... finally.

Walking home in the sun I had one of those glorious happy moments where your whole body seems to glow from the inside. It was brief, but there I was... simply being happy walking in the sun.

Ships and Seaside Cowl: finished!

Oh, I'm so tired! Couldn't get out of bed this morning and that feeling stayed with me all day somehow... But enough whining!

I finished the Ships and Seaside Cowl I was KALling:

I really like the picture and the cowl is so pretty and soft and warm. I am however not too sure about the pink/ purple side of it. Maybe it will grow on me or maybe it will be gifted.

I found a website today with a walk around Paris to see all the places where the movie Amelie was filmed! Such a nice thing to look forward to: eating creme brulee in the cafe she worked, ordering a peach at the greengrocers... Swoon...

BBQ dreamers

Mika is chasing a fly, it is so ubercute! I have to add to that: she is wee bit dorky lookin' when chasing stuff, especially when she is ready to pounce the fly, she gets so excited she miauws...
Dumby kitty, fly will know your "tell" soon enough that way...

It rained so hard today, the roof over my bedchamber (good word that: bedchamber) started leaking. But the upstairs neighbour wasn't home so I couldn't get on the roof. I posted a freakout message on facebook and my downstairs neighbour saw it! Took out his big badass ladder and climbed to the roof. All the drainage was either blocked or shifted.
   Waddayaknow... knitting needles are also great for unblocking drainage pipes :)
In just a few minutes Dave fixed everything and we could actually hear the water rushing trough the pipes. Leaking in house stopped soon thereafter! What a great neighbour no?

At about five I went to a BBQ with friends, a few of them I hadn't seen in a loooong time, mostly because I'm not that good at making appointments. But is was really good to chat with them again, I found that I missed Marc in my life, so I should mail him more often to have some fun!
Now I smell of wood-fire smoke, because the best thing about a BBQ is that you make a fire in it afterwards.
I always kinda like that smell. It makes me feel woodsy and wild, like someone from another era or story.

When I rode my bike home I was listening to daydreamers by Stephanie Dosen, I started swerving like a kid to the music.
I felt so alive!

Whooooops

Yesterday I forgot to post a blog! Let's say I had better things to do!

It was a beautiful sunny day and halfway the morning Gordon and Mariska came by to visit the market. I've said before that the Saturday local market is a joy, but maybe now you will believe me when people from Amsterdam come here to do some shopping. We bought cheese and flowers and lots of fruit and vegetables. That stall is like a candy shop to me, only the kind where you don't have to feel bad that you buy too much :)

After that I went at work at my ships and seaside cowl. And kept at it, cos I finished the knitting and today all there is left to do is the kitchener stitch finish. Never done that so it will be a nice challenge.

C'est tres jolie ma belle..

This morning I got up at 11.00! That must be a new record for me.. Apparently I needed it. I spend some time cleaning up my house. Why is it that on days off, one of the first things I do is clean up the clutter? I also did the washing, all of it, and some shopping and some delayed administration.

By then it was 14.00 and I seated myself on the couch with some knitting and watched the movies Amelie and Paris, j'taime. To get in the spirit of this summers holiday :)


When I came home from my shopping trip I saw this gorgeous moth sitting on our freshly painted front door, I had to take a photo:

It looks like something from a fairytale...

Friends and family

I have never spend as much time in churches as in the last two days.
Growing up between an atheist and a buddhist, being schooled at a catholic school, my interpretation of religion is somewhat... eclectic.
But I like churches and I like rituals from whatever religion they may come.

Today I was invited to Jamal's First Holy communion. He is the son of my good friend Monique and I adore both of her kids. It was an honor to be invited. The church was packed and the songs were joyful and easy to understand, which is nice in my book.

Afterward we were invited at Monique's for lunch. Mo is from Suriname so lunch means Sotosoup, Bami, Chicken, Pom, rice and all the trimmings! Good!

Djina and me left about three and were given a tub full of food for tomorrow! YAY!
We left because we wanted to go see the new movie " the hangover 2" in Amsterdam. I was so nice to spend time with Djina, she really "gets" me, even when I am almost delirious, I love her for that.

The movie was good! I laughed so loud I have a headache now. It is silly in so many ways, but it put a smile on my face. Afterwards we went for a quick dinner in the Chinatown: Zeedijk. We had some chinese food and I tried to teach Djina how to eat with chopsticks. She did a pretty great job! The food was good as was the company. But we each had a big tub of popcorn in the theater so we didn't eat that much...

And a silly pic of me and Jamal, we always do that: for every serious picture we take a silly one. I have to say the silly ones are getting better and better and this is my favorite right now:

I love a good wedding!

Today it was a sunny day, the kind of day that is a good day to get married!

Luckily a colleague/ friend got hitched today: Ilona wedded her lovely boyfriend Eric.

She was so pretty! The dress was gorgeous and the chapel was so lovely and the flowers were great and a group of colleagues was the choir and they were great!

My favorite moment was when her dad gave her away. He really handed her over to Eric and said something, we will never know what, but Ilona was glowing!

My other favorite moment in any wedding is when the priest pronounces the wedding is sealed. That moment when the bride and groom look at each other... it is simply magical!

I could be a wedding crasher for those moments! Not for the booze or the cake, but for those eternal love moments.