Monday, April 28, 2014

Mrs. Underhill

Some people will think of Chevy Chase putting it on the Underhill's bill but I am referring to Frodo's alias. No, I am actually referring to my age. I turned 49, so not 'over the hill' yet. I don't have a problem with my age. I do have a problem with some of the 'wear and tear' of my body. And some of the side effects of the phase I am currently in.



I like winter, a lot. Especially cold clear days after a nice snow fall. After the kind of winter we had, I am enjoying spring quite a bit too. And come fall I will like that, except for the mounts of leaves...fun to play with, not so fun to have everywhere in the yard. I doubt that those 16 trees they took down will have an impact. I just am not a fan of hot humid summers.



But that's all not news, and in fact, I don't think I have any. News. Just pictures. Of the cats enjoying the weather (they all have their spring-celebration-moments when they act completely funky with jumps and runs and climbing trees for the fun of it). Of the wood piles. Of pretty things happening right now.





And the last one  below makes me think of Astrid Lindgren books, dancing around may poles, Malin in her light blue dress dancing on the dock  (Sea crow island)...


and seeing my dearest long term friend Hanneke soon. I am looking forward to so many things this year. A very good year it is looking to be, still under the hill, although lastly I do want to refer to J.R.R Tolkien again because one never knows what can happen...

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." 

Sunday, April 27, 2014

only the coffee pot

and a wine glass...Both shattered on the kitchen tiles whilst I was doing chores (well..apparently I do clean sometimes, surprising myself). My brother said seven years of luck are now coming my way. I'm just wondering though, can it really get any better?


We had such a wonderful celebration filled weekend last week. The secret that everybody had kept   was well worth the 'little white lies' to give Emma the surprise of the year: On Friday night Vera pretended to bring Kevin home but instead got Stephen from the airport.


And just like that, we were all home together. And it was fabulous. Marvelous. And I am running out of superlatives.


My girls turned 19 years young on Easter Sunday. There was a LOT of 'twinning' going on, they were as happy to be together as we were having them home.


This was Stephen's first time over-here, and I hope we didn't scare him too much with our family antics and unorthodox ways. My love put the guys to work with the wood piles, and Thijs showed them how to split some pieces for the camp fire. Jake proved stronger than the ax- he split that instead of wood.



After the -per the girls' request- home-cooked family dinner (unfortunately without Lauren as she had to work! And Ben wasn't there either but Jake was) more friends came over and there was music (thank you John!) and merrymaking until quite late at night. Or early morning.

 
And now of course they are all back to whence they came and busy with study and finals and end of year and apartment hunting and work and all that. And so are my love and I, busy, pursuing our own 'interests'. Even far apart, we are still a family. I do miss them, but it is good this way, as it should be.


But the protestant upbringing in me makes me very uncomfortable with all this happiness. Because these things are fragile. And I don't believe in 'good things happen to good people'. Not at all. So maybe I do need to shatter some glass every now and then? (although I am not superstitious either).

Sunday, April 13, 2014

letting my hair down

Although it mostly ends up in a bun anyway, even in the weekend. But it is the fact that I can, let it down I mean. After an emotional roller-coaster of a week. Someone asked me recently "what do you like to do when you are not working?" Answer "walk around in jeans and t-shirt".


Not the best lighting, but this is a detail of Vera's piece at the 'art bash'. Which we went to go see yesterday. Her work was informed/inspired by the expensive and at times difficult way to citizenship. Roses with thorns. The paperwork shredded. Her fingerprint with the words of the oath written in.



We met Vera's lovely friend Andrea and admired her piece. Interestingly informed by similar experiences and cultural relationship/tension between home country and the USA. Andrea's work is called 'you may pass' (translated from Spanish).


Jake had a triptych in the show, however it was not displayed correctly and thus I will not post a picture of his work. As always it was great to hang out in the big city with one of my two favorite girls.


There was good news all around with 'the kids'. Emma secured an apartment. Vera had her work on display plus was nominated for a scholarship. Thijs accepted a paid internship for the summer. Definite happy highlights of the week.


Soul enriching experiences of a different kind came through my job. I can't be specific. Suffice it to say that I feel privileged to do the work I do, and supported  by co-workers who were checking in on me after a harrowing and emotionally draining ER shift.



Today the air and even the wind feel warm, soothing. Renewal in the yard. Just what I need to let my hair down.



Wednesday, April 2, 2014

wooded lot vs lot of wood

It was a good thing I was at work- while the tree guys did more than take down some dead trees. Unfortunately they will return tomorrow to tackle the tallest ones in the back yard. To make sure they have access, they already created a sort of highway where there used to be a small path and took way more than 'one branch here, one branch there'.

no neat stapled stumps


We've been promised 'everything is going to be okay', and I guess I should not blame them- the trees needed to go and the tree guys are just doing their job. Still, I felt bereaved a little bit.



this is one of the trees that is coming down tomorrow
And tomorrow I will be home (until I can exit the garage, now blocked by a basketball hoop and other stuff). Because I need to sort of rest up before two 12 hour shifts, and then two more next week in between the normal work week. For now, I am once again supplemental at the hospital.



Instead of having that drink I proclaimed I felt like after seeing the havoc (all the spring flowers flattened, the created highway, the heaps of wood on top of my carefully cultivated patch of sweet woodruff...) I took some pictures. Drink I may do later.



You see, plenty of beauty, and plenty of new and upcoming ents.