Where screeming feet and willpower meet – Day four in France

After a full day of rest the day before

I decided the fourth day would have walking in store.

We had taken the car up to a pretty spot

And I had promised myself: I will give all I’ve got

To get up there myself

So I took my shoes off the shelf 
 

The walk up

Not mine... but on the way

My spirit during the walk!

Enjoy? Yes, yes I will!

 
Every step I took my left foot screamed

But it didn’t feel so bad, or so it seemed

It went from worse to better to really bad

And then also my right foot went sad.

Vallouise

Valouise

Not what you want to read when thursty!

 

But, just as in life, sometimes things hurt,

But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth

you “manning up” and biting through the pain,

That’s just part of life and yes; life’s insane.

Not only the destination was the prettiest sight

The way up there was beauty in all it’s might.

Thank you feet and power of will

I am enjoying the walk, even now still!

Almost there!

 

Walking in the sun

Walking towards the sun

Took the "elevator" up in the evening for some tea + pie = reward!

Snow and sky - plane and feet

 

Watching people come down

When a card speaks to you...

This week, a card was passed my way

that left me without words to say.

It said "Thank you", some sweet words and showed a rose...
It soon became clear that it was the card that chose
me as the reciever of the message
of this beautiful passage:

The card from a cool series of  "Story Cards" and flowers from Me to Me!

Tao of Sleeping Beauty

After having slept many years,
Sleeping Beauty wakes up.
She looks around, 
but doesn,'t see anyone that would want to save her.
She falls back asleep.
Years pass and one day, 
she wakes up again.
She looks to her left and her right, 
gazes behind and above her...
But there isn't anyone...
No Prince, no Squire and no Gardener with a hedge trimmer.
Sleeping Beauty lies down again and goes back to sleep.
Eventually, she wakes up for the third time.
She opens her eyes,
but again: there is no one there.
She says to herself:
"Well F***, that's enough!"
She rises and is free!*

* Translation by me... No it doesn't really say the F-word :)

Talk to me

Varanassi, India - No complaints, just smiles!

Talk to me about your sadness and fears.

Show me your sad eyes and tears.

Tell me what went wrong

and how pain came along.

Scream, wine and cry

and tell me that, sometimes, you would rather die.

Ask me to question what you feel

and "how on earth" you can still just... deal

with all of the crap and hard stuff

when actually, you just had about enough.

I will listen, because I care

because a person without pain, is rare.

I will look at you and see

the strong person you want to be.

I will lay a hand on you or hold

your entire you, if I'm more bold. 

I will hope for your relief

and take a bit of the pain away, even just brief.

But don't endlessly complain...

In that... there is no gain.

Hurt is never just that...

when you complain, a whole level, you forget!

''Ik heb een heel zwaar leven''

Brigitte Kaandorp

"Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day".
You can't see it now and feel astray?
Let me help you look at it
together we will find the happy, positive bit!

Happy V-day

Happy day of Valentine!

Today, no flowers and I won't romantically dine.

No "great love" at my door

and making love on the kitchen floor*.
That does not mean this day is hard...
advantage number 1 = I don't have to hold in my fart!

 No serious: "Love" I don't lack
not now, not when I look forward, nor when I look back**.
Besides, Love is too big to fit in one day
Big and confusing, that I can say.

Confusing and incomprehensible,

fantastic and utterly sensible***.

Love has levels the tallest buildings don't reach

it's something you feel, not something you teach.

Love to you, may mean something different to me...

But in all... I try to let it be (even the smalles little bit of) Love I see.
In (mostly) all people, actions, animals and things
and trying just thàt...  gives you wings!

Flirting bikes - Udaipur, India

Detail Hindu Temple, India

Love! - Playas los Frailes, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador

Moe and Va...

... grew old together.

Just enjoying eachothers company - Villa de Leyva, Colombia

Double Open Door= Love, Den Bril, Lier

Male affection - Varanasi, India

:) - Seattle

Hinid, sounds like "la" - Jaipur, India

Couple - Istanbul, Turkey

Where all Love starts - Message in Hotel, Varanasi, India

A tree=Love - Canoa, Ecuador

Sun+shade=Love, Willemstad, Curacao

* Moeke, vake, zus en huisgenoot: ik doe zo'n dingen niet hoor, dat rijmt alleen zo lekker ;)
** OK, when I look back as far as puberty, I felt unloved.
But that's just part of that life-stage's process
*** "Sensible" as in sensitive, delicate and tender not as in wise or rational... not that at all.

(The number of) The Beast

This week(end) was a beast...
a real emo, party and "work like a mad women" feast...

Vincent Bilo kind of was the start of it all
as he read the news, all sexy and formal.
When the item "Skinny Puppy is not torture music" was brought up,
he made me laugh, I could not stop!
Serieus bussiness, no doubt about that,
but it was because of what and how he said:
"666, the number of the beast"...
 Aweome kick off for my weekend, to say the least.

The Beast of Burden, Moe and Va's donkey, Fien.

 
A beast of a storm,
an umbrella torn.
Widely-spread muscular male windowcleaners everywhere:
I failed the command "Do not stare".
Killer meetings in more hours then I had,
not enough time in my warm and soft bed.
A movie that makes you laugh and then shoke
because it's actually sad, not really a joke.
Two hospital-visits on one "heavy metal day"
but this time, I got to hold The New Born and heard that my health is okay!
Heart to heart talks and too much wine as red as blood.
If emotions were water, my bucket would flood.
"Out on the town" with two ladies as hot as fire...
Men gave us loud growls and eyes full of desire.

I only see one remedy to deal with this devil:
fight it on it's own level.
Instead of yoga tonight,
or getting into a bar fight...
I will just let my hair down and put this on repeat
Beast: acknowledge your defeat!

Fighting the germs

 By driving to work, instead of taking the train.

Warmth and comfort? I will take the ''gain''.

By letting people pass on and off the streets

and having their gratitude heal me like would red beets!

 

By enjoying the fall-colors and beauty of the morning sun...

I'm instantly happy and the day has just begun!

Add this song to the morning scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY4J3sVMmN0

 and I feel like I'm living the dream!

 

By having a productive day behind the PC

while it felt like StuBru was playing music, just for me!

By eating soup that is greener then grass

I can literarily feel my throat ache pass.

 

By giving a genuine and caring compliment

and by laughing so hard it made my back bend.

By having a beautiful friend ask me how I feel

and hearing in her voice, she cares a great deal...

 

By working on my physical balance with Pilates

and by always saying ''thank you'' and ''pretty please''.

By accidently dropping a glass jar off the drying rack

and thinking: ''Yes, good luck, my health will be back on track!''

 

By drinking massive amounts of tea

and occasionally

having a cup with a delicious (!!!) chocolate gift

just looking at them gives me a lift!

I will share my chocolate, but you have to be fast!

I really don't think that long they will last...

 

Sugar might not be the best bet,

but I'm hoping you won't forget:

Feeling happy and having gratitude

is the way to a healthier body and a kick ass mood!

 

Love is everywhere!

 



Elevator pitch

Not a poem this time,

nothing funky, no rhyme...

But the Elevator Pitch for my last day in class

(http://www.sollicitatiedokter.nl/sollicitatiegesprek-startpagina/elevator-pitch-tips-en-voorbeelden/ )

to become a ''Professional Organizing''-lass.

Read and learn what I've been up to

and what it is I hope to someday do...

 

When I was travelling for a year,

looking for myself and

for what would REALLY make me happy,

one of the wishes that rose

was to become a ''Professional Organizer''.

 

With my backpack full of

* experience as a social worker

* a very good idea of what I want

* my personal organizing skills and passions

* and the ''good practices'' of what I could mean in the lives of people around me

I ''travelled'' to Utrecht (Netherlands) to follow the training from

''Inspiring Els The Household coach''.
http://www.dehuishoudcoach.nl/
 

There, my enthusiasm caught fire

and as a souvenir I brought:

the idea and plan to start with OrganiZEN.

 

With OrganiZEN I want to help people

in Antwerp province (and maybe beyond)

to regain control over their ''stuff'' and house hold.

This, by ''getting things done'', 

very practically,

with them

and in in their own house.

 

This way, they will (re)find their stuff,

themselves

and their peace.

 

Just like I found all these things,

while travelling.

Walking around Utrecht ''Fier als een pauw'' - ''Proud as a peacock'' as
a graduated Professional Organizer :).
Should this be my celebration-dress? :)
Just kidding, I already found the perfect vintage one :).

 

 



It didn't rain in India

Drips and drops on your skin...
Do you rather stay in?
Cozy warm with a cup of tea?
But there is a whole world out there to see!
I get itches because I want to see more,
of what the world has in store...

For now I heat up my chosen pea soup
and put my favorite CD of the moment on a loop
I go through a picture book
with some of the shots in India I took.
Thinking back of that time of this year,
gives me sadness but also cheer.
Curious of what I saw and did
copy the links and look at it!

A cup of tea
at Bakery Bizarr in Lier (BE)
is a real treat!

The place is gorgeous
and fall is as well!

Book 1
http://www.albelli.nl/onlinefotoboek-delen/a83fa9cd-1a2a-4d96-b8f6-771036511ad3
Book 2
http://www.albelli.nl/onlinefotoboek-delen/3eace575-0cc1-49f0-9a53-4f2598f7298c
Book 3
http://www.albelli.nl/onlinefotoboek-delen/793b25fa-e9b7-43c4-9d4c-8700ce067cb9
Book 4
http://www.albelli.nl/onlinefotoboek-delen/77e5b650-dbe2-459d-bcf2-1027afeeff33
Book 5
http://www.albelli.nl/onlinefotoboek-delen/46a85aab-e0b7-4f95-ad88-b99b73951884
Book 6
http://www.albelli.nl/onlinefotoboek-delen/50f0395e-f513-472f-b780-f1029ba4e15a



Gone with the wind...

Saying ''Goodbye'' and ''So long''...

and in the meantime staying strong?

It's hard because of that empty space,

of something you think you can never replace.

It's something in the lives of us all

letting go of ''things'' big or small.

 

Little Ella grows up to be super brave

last weekend to the wind she gave

something that to her is very dear

while she showed no sings of fear.

Sadness was showing in her eyes

but she kicked ass and her sparkle never dies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I crashed my car into a truck...

Saturday I had a cozy and friendly chat

with this wonderful creative soul I met

She and the market we attended

inspired me, so my creative blockage ended

Full of spirit, energy and ideas

I drove home with great ease...

But with a head so full and somewhere else

I didn't see the alarm bells...

 

I had crashed my car into a truck

but all in all I had great luck

not me, nor any other human soul got in any pain

too bad for my car, I can't say the same...

It's not good, it's wrecked, it's bad

oh what a great car I had...

 

So I went to bed with puffy eyes

all day I had ''the cries''.

 

But let me tell you something here,

my happiness is what is most dear,

I could say 2013 is a year of bad luck

but that would get me all stuck...

I see it as a year of chances

a year with balancing acts and dances

 

These are the chances I see,
will you think along with me?

I get to ride my bicycle more and longer

and that will only make me stronger

All these options lay at my feet,

all these opportunities I will meet:

I get to live without a car

and see if it will get me far

I maybe get to buy a motorbike

one of those vintage ones I like...

Things are what you make them out to be
but not always easy, if you ask me.
This is quite a bummer,
but all in all, I had a great summer!
Look at some pictures of the past weeks
this is a downer, but I had great peaks!




Me and the little boy from next door,
did a swap:
He got a pancake
 and I got fresh picked berries.
That worked fine for me!

Herbs from the garden!
Delicious in a freshly prepared wok!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved spending time with old friends, new friends
and my lovely family!

 

I tasted the most fresh berries ever!
Straight from the bush...

Loved biking over and
watering Maria's awesome garden!
(And sometimes
taking some produce home)

 

A little bit of crafting (like this chalk board I made)
and just some enjoying the beautiful and pretty life.
It says: ''Beautiful, right? ... everything!''

I found a great yoga school in Lier
and already learned a lot!
And practised some :)

Got to wear my vintage yellow boots,
because the sun was out!

Another tiny craft project: I think/hope I made some one happy with it...
In the front:
''Your mind is like a parachute... it only functions when open'' Frank Zappa.

 

 

This little piece of crazy
has to be part
of a successful summer, of course!

A market or two
with my lovely sister
and the little one.

 

Great weather in Belgium,
so as many outside drinks as possible!

 

Summer was in our garden
and it was great!

Frozen yoghourt in Greece...
Oh yes!