A somewhat pretentious title for a last post, but it kind of feels like the end of an era to me! I wrote my first post on September 12 2007. My expectations were high, and the writing was something I truly truly enjoyed for a long time.
Lately I've not had as much enjoyment in writing. Partly because I feel like I'm repeating myself. It is our second spring here in this house and there's only so much one can write about holland, flowers, and bike rides in the surroundings I think! And I feel like I'm on repeat emotionally, continually going over the same things. There is a lot I would still like to write about but a lot of it is to personal to be posted here on the net, so I'll probably end up writing a diary instead. One meant for my eyes only, with my hubby peeking in now and again so that he can make an attempt to understand what's going on in this head of mine.
I have gained so much through blogging though. Writing really has helped me maintain some perspective. I remember with fondness (and some longing) the days that I walked around eager to get started on writing, to share some trivial insight, or the highlights of my day. It's really been a lot of fun!
I'm also glad to know that I will be able to read back through this blog, to recap what has really been quite a turbulent period in my (our) lives. I've written about our move to this little town, our trip to Ethiopia with my road trip being the ultimate highlight. I've written about the different jobs I've had in that time period. The one in Utrecht, the one in Zwolle, and the one I have now. I've written about the different sicknesses that have kept our family busy. Herman with his ulcerative colitis, Tristan with his hemofilia and alopecia, and Marinda with Pfeiffer and all the "lovely" after effects. I've written about family and friends and marriage and raising kids. This blog pretty much covers it all!
Just looking back through all these old posts makes me smile. I'm thankful for the internet, for the opportunity to get out and write and have people comment, for being able to literally look back on a part of my life. I'm glad blogging encouraged me to look at things with fresh eyes, to see beyond the mundane and see that things are special.
Maybe someday I will get back to blogging again. In the meantime, I will leave this blog up for those who want to browse. Comments, as always, are welcome! And if you want to ask me a question or get in touch please feel free to write me at eliseblogs@gmail.com.
Thanks everybody!!
7 quick takes
1.
This is how the kitchen looks now. Improvement is coming in bits and pieces accompanied by aches and pains from my husband. Thankfully we've been fed at friends and family over the last couple of days, so there has been no more need for back yard cooking! Hopefully this weekend all will be up and running again and we'll be able to enjoy this beauty :-)
2.
Work is a joy and a pleasure. Yesterday I teksted the following message to some friends: "Perks of the job; sitting in the sun by a windmill with coffee". I am going on lots of work visits to the local volunteer organisations. Over the last couple of weeks I've visited youth projects, homes for the elderly, an art gallery, schools, a home away from home for handicapped children and the windmill. I love it!3.
Marinda is home sick again. It looks like the flu. Tristan is lying on the sofa complaining of a stomachache. We are still in the flow of having a child or two sick at home at least one day a week. Today it's both of them....4.
Our front yard is blooming mightily, thanks to my friend Alize who gifted us with bags of bulbs.
6.
Our front yard is blooming mightily, thanks to my friend Alize who gifted us with bags of bulbs.
5.
I can finally walk up the stairs again without my knee twinging in protest every time! And with two staircases in the house, this is a real blessing. I will have to think twice about jumping on the trampoline again. I think I'm beginning to feel my age, whether I like it or not!
6.
Currently reading Isaac Asimov. Love me a good robot story!
7.
Just writing these 7 quick takes makes me realize how much information I throw on facebook through my status updates. Sometimes it's hard to think of what to write, seeing as I've already written something about it on facebook. Makes me wonder if I should toss one or the other.
Have a great friday everyone!
Just writing these 7 quick takes makes me realize how much information I throw on facebook through my status updates. Sometimes it's hard to think of what to write, seeing as I've already written something about it on facebook. Makes me wonder if I should toss one or the other.
Have a great friday everyone!
Memories
Renzo found and scanned these pictures and posted them on facebook. I just had to put them here as well :-).
This picture was taken on United Nations Day at ICS (International Community School of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). At this school United Nations Day was celebrated with a parade of flags of all the countries that had students in the school, followed by presentat
ions from several countries. This particular year, my mom decided to steal the show with us kids. I was at that odd awkward age where it's only just acceptabel to stand on stage and sing, it verged on being painful!
We sang "twee emmertjes water halen", that's what I remember for sure! Funny thing is, we hardly spoke dutch at all at home, and didn't sing much dutch either. We might just have learned that dutch song especially for that occasion!
A couple of years later, back at the school after three years in the States, I was the flag bearer for the dutch flag. There's a picture of that somewhere!
This other picture is much older. I was showing it to Marinda and only then realized that my parents were much younger than I am now when this picture was taken. In their early thirties perhaps? Strange to think of them off discovering the world with four kids in tow, while I sit here, ensconced behind my computer, limiting my travels around the world to reading peoples blogs!
I think we look pretty good though!
This picture was taken on United Nations Day at ICS (International Community School of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). At this school United Nations Day was celebrated with a parade of flags of all the countries that had students in the school, followed by presentat
ions from several countries. This particular year, my mom decided to steal the show with us kids. I was at that odd awkward age where it's only just acceptabel to stand on stage and sing, it verged on being painful!We sang "twee emmertjes water halen", that's what I remember for sure! Funny thing is, we hardly spoke dutch at all at home, and didn't sing much dutch either. We might just have learned that dutch song especially for that occasion!
A couple of years later, back at the school after three years in the States, I was the flag bearer for the dutch flag. There's a picture of that somewhere!
This other picture is much older. I was showing it to Marinda and only then realized that my parents were much younger than I am now when this picture was taken. In their early thirties perhaps? Strange to think of them off discovering the world with four kids in tow, while I sit here, ensconced behind my computer, limiting my travels around the world to reading peoples blogs!
I think we look pretty good though!
Kitchen
So today is day two of our kitchen revamp. Yesterday, after a long afternoon search, we finally found the tiles we wanted to put on the wall. We ended up getting floor tiles! Less shiny and more robust than the usual kitchen tiles. I hope it works! Almost anything is better than the icky color that the tiles are now.
I was telling Herman that I'm glad I didn't realize how much work was going to go into fixing this kitchen up. The dust, oh my stars, the dust!! As you can see right here....
it was not a misty day... it was the dust. Which obviously penetrated the house right up to the eaves. I have now "cleaned" downstairs, but I guess the rest of the week will be spent dusting and dusting and dusting...
This is our outdoor kitchen. Sounds pretty fancy, hey? I did actually cook on here this evening, on an electric burner. Thank goodness for good weather!
The hot water was off downstairs, so Herman had to lug pails of hot water up and down the stairs for me so I could dust a little. And I had to get the water from my soup from the hose outside:-). Later tonight this will all be covered up with plastic and tomorrow will be a day of rest.
I'm just hoping nobody will come by and steal the pans and tupperware that is still stored in the cupboards!
I was telling Herman that I'm glad I didn't realize how much work was going to go into fixing this kitchen up. The dust, oh my stars, the dust!! As you can see right here....
it was not a misty day... it was the dust. Which obviously penetrated the house right up to the eaves. I have now "cleaned" downstairs, but I guess the rest of the week will be spent dusting and dusting and dusting...
This is our outdoor kitchen. Sounds pretty fancy, hey? I did actually cook on here this evening, on an electric burner. Thank goodness for good weather!
The hot water was off downstairs, so Herman had to lug pails of hot water up and down the stairs for me so I could dust a little. And I had to get the water from my soup from the hose outside:-). Later tonight this will all be covered up with plastic and tomorrow will be a day of rest.
I'm just hoping nobody will come by and steal the pans and tupperware that is still stored in the cupboards!
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