Window to the world

Great Night Out

International Filmfestival Rotterdam IFR

Good Company

Delicious Organic Vegan Burgers

Refreshing movies

The reader

It is National Reading to Kids week!

Inspired as a kid by love with reading?

Inspiring now your kids by love with reading?

Inspiring your love / grandfather / neighbour / cousin / student / friend or.......yourself with reading?

Maybe it sounds a bit funny, but try it, create time, and you will see how it enriches your life!

Postcard Imprime en France ref.456

The dew of compassion is a tear (Lord Byron)

Today i had during lunch this beautful conversation with my dear colleague who lost her newborn last summer.  We shared our feelings of loss, and although our loss is different, there was so much mutual understandig. 

Grief is sometimes compared to climbing a spiral staircase where things can look and feel like you are just going in circles, yet you are actually making progress. We talked about those little steps we take, about how we learn to take care of ourselves, to seek support when we need it and to creat space for being alone, acknowledging intensive feelings that come and go. Writing helps / and jogging / and going a way for a trip all by yourself, we concluded.

We grieved together and blinked a way a tear or two. 

Looking at my colleaque i saw a beautiful, young woman, fragile yet strong. Someone to cherish. She reminds me of these unique handmade porcelain buttons from Lenneke Wispelwey.

 

 

 

Little things matter

 Cannot stand matchboxes. Have to pimp them before use. Pukka (organic, fairtrade tea) packs works! Little effort, endless joy!

Delicate

Grandmothers are just "antique" little girls.
-- Author Unknown

Love this little painting

It is my grandmother's

She got it for her 15th birthday

Must have been around 1940

She was a teenager

collecting furniture

for her own little room

This painting is as delicate

as Granny

Love her!

Listening with your eyes

Attentive, my theme of this weekend, inspired by Mitch Albom's book Have a Little Faith (2009, page 59).

 

 "A little girl came home from school with a drawing she's made in class. She danced into the kitchen, where her mother was preparing dinner. 

"'Mom, guess what'? she squealed, waving the drawing. 

"Her mother never looked up. 

"'What'? she said, tending to the pots.

"'Guess what?' the child repeated, waving the drawing.

"''What?' the mother said, tending to the plates. 

"'Mom, you're not listening.'

" 'Sweetie, yes I am.'

" 'Mom,' the child said, 'you're not listening with your eyes.'"

Twitters

 

Looking forward to spring?

These Little birds from Mae

(stickers made with Eco Inks) 

hopefully cheer you up!

Early Bird

Sometimes, it seems there are not enough ours in a day. Especially at work time flies and most of time i cannot even come close to my wish list of goals for every day. Partly this i because i am a trouble-shooter at work (you can never predict what is going to happen but you can predict something is going to happen), partly because i am a perfectionist.

Recently i discovered that i am an Early Bird: I love the Early Morning Quietness and the emptiness at school. So 2 to 3 times a weak i start at 7 a.m. The world is still asleep and i can do "my thing". I have been more productive as i start my day earlier and get more done in a day without feeling rushed and stress out. Between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. it even feels like Me Time! After 3 really productive hours i treat myself to a delicious cup of coffee at the coffee bar and then i have this feeling of accomplishment. I do not feel there is a shortage of time anymore and i welcome the day!

So being an early bird means:
- less noise
- more focus
- time to over think what is really important
- keeping to your schedule
- less stress

When i come home i feel more vital and can let go working stuff. What more do i need to say?

Hmm...start early also means sleep early. My ritual is to take a hot warm bath the night before and i gave up on TV. And i really do not mind. Especially now, with my duo Slaapaap pillow: what is better than relaxing by sleeping together and spooning all the way!

Sleep tight!

( By the way; Slaapaap is a great wedding gift!)

Snooshy's friend

Inspired by Snooshy (100% recycled!), my sister made this charming stuffed animal for my brother (29!). Ohhhh i love my family!

Ginger tea

Yesterday evening I came bouncing home. I had a really exciting week at work, made a lot of hours and had some meaningful moments with my student. So I was still driving on adrenaline when I banged at the couch next to my dear. I made him totally crazy with all my stories; he just wanted to relax in front of the TV and there i was chatting about my work. Of course he was right, I had to relax but i did not know how.

When I woke up this morning I was still not at ease. I jumped out of bed to walk with the dog, score a nice breakfast, do the laundry, get flowers and so on. Just now, nine o'clock in the evening, I subsided into a chair. Now I can feel my body, my thoughts  (to do lists) are fading. And what really indulging is: my love is at this true moment baking a apple pie - intirely on his own initiative- especially for me!

Can not think of a better moment to make  a cup of warm ginger tea in my new kettle (got it for my 31 birthday). My yoga teacher advised me to make this abluent, relaxing tea. It is full of health benefits, easy to make and...... tastes great with fresh baked apple pie!

Here comes my recipe: 

Ginger Tea
4 cups of water
2-inch fresh ginger piece
optional: honey or cinnamon stick

First, peel and slice the ginger root. Put the water in a saucepan and bring it to boil. Add the slices of ginger into the boiling water. Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan, and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes (optional with cinnamon stick). Strain the liquid out, and honey to taste.

Treat yourself to your home made tea and you will see, you'll slide into mindfulness. Enjoy your evening!

Rainy Day - Happy Day

It is raining all day and a lot of people here are down in the dumps. New Year blues? 
One way to cheer up is to leaf through old photo albums, bringing back beautiful memories.  
I found this 4 year old picture of my little baby-nephew and me at a rainy day. We just moved in our first new, cozy house. My nephew stayed a couple of day's at our place (just 7 month's old - what a tough Mom!) and we did grazy things together. One of my friends came over and took experimental pictures of us with her fancy i book- we've been enjoying endless and it felt a bit like having my own family. 

Looking at old pictures can make you smile again!

 

 

 

Wish you a birdie new year!

Last two years i have been fond of birds. When i woke up this morning, first thing i thought was  "wish you a birdie new year!"

To me, birdie stands for:
growing awareness - little happiness - the joy of giving - inner time -"flower watering" (sharing appreciation of others) - harmony - living in solitude - joy - compassion - adventure - well being - being in the moment - wisdom - soulfulness.

When i was in the Egyptian desert last november  for my yoga - hiking trip there was this beautiful moment i hope i'll never forget: Doing the downward dog (yoga pose) on top of a wind eroded limeston rock. The sounds of Desert Silence. Focus. And suddenly, there (s)he was, a little bird landed just in between my legs. The first living animal i saw (except from the camel). During 5 deep breaths we gazed into each other eyes. Then (s)he took of. That was it. A magic moment in this Silent & Vibrant place. Of course i do not know what kind of bird it was!

2010 brought me soulfulness: moments of deep feelings or emotions. I am so grateful for these moments. The desert brought me the realisation that deep emotions as joy and sorrow comes together - interweave.

This quote by Kahlil Gibran (1926) i live by heart: Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

The 13^th century Sufi poet Rumi adds: Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. Don’t turn away. Keep your gaze on the bandaged place. That’s where the light enters you.  

So wish you a bright new birdie year!