C'est la vie!

A teacher at my high-school used to say this. He explained: When the train doors close just in front of your nose, don’t be upset or feel embarrassed (somehow we do, don’t we?), but say “C’est la vie!” as the French do.
It was about 10 days ago. I had to bring some printing material to a copy shop. As it was raining pretty hard, I stepped in my car in stead of taking my bike. You guessed it already: the car wouldn’t start. I seldom use my car = the battery is often very low. We have had some very cold days since the last time I used my car… Okay, the car didn’t want to start anyway so I went on my bike in the pouring rain. It was cold and I got soaking wet – but alright, I said to myself “C’est la vie!” Yesterday I had an appointment in downtown with a friend of mine to go to see a film. When I was just about leave home, I noticed my bike had a flat tire. Hmm, c’est la vie, again. I rushed to the bus stop… Urrrrrggggg… I missed the bus by half a second! I then took a deep breath and said “C’est la vie!”

Mondo Leone - the World of Leon

Went to see “Mondo Leone” with Sjaak. Mondo Leone – the world of Leon - is a show with music and short films. I’d call this an “ultimate one-man show”. Leon is there on the stage, all alone with some AV equipments. The other musicians who play the music with him have been filmed and recorded; they are now only seen projected on the screen. The music he plays, the lyrics he sings, the stories he tells, the images he creates…. They are all very personal – his life, his family, his dream, his longing, his love, his questions, his answers, his quest, his joy, his sorrow… It’s his world, the world through his eyes, in his heart.
It’s not so that he sees or feels what we don’t, but it is often so (at least I think so), that even the smallest details which we wouldn’t pay attention to, could catch Leon’s mind. He’s got a very sensitive antenna and he can also express what he sees or hears or feels in his very own way. I wish I could do that. I remember I used to have my own world. Well, I still have, but I don’t cherish it as much as I did before, I guess. I was then much more sensitive and open to what was happening (and not happening) around me. So, it’s maybe time to discover myself, as I wrote the other day, time to get back my world as well. My antenna is probably rusted and needs to be polished.

3 x Leon


3 x Leon


Ravioli in Gis mineur

Knowing me, knowing you

Music: "Vicious Cycle"/Lynyrd Skynyrd
Mood: Not too bad

Yesterday I played a game with my friends. The game is called “Knowing me, knowing you”, it’s a sort of test how well you know the other players and the other way round. There were 4 of us, Sjaak, Renske (I introduced them to you on this blog earlier as “a loving couple”), Sim and me. The result shows that Sjaak and Renske know each other (very) well – alright, they are a couple, what else did we expect? I find it rather interesting because it appears now that I am a kind of “mystery person” to them. And this actually makes me wonder if I know MYSELF well. It seems that I have often a different idea from that other people have about me. It is like they see in me things/characteristics that I don’t see. When they all have one same answer to a question about me, and my answer is different from theirs, I begin to doubt which “me” could be closer to myself.
Here is one of the questions that made me think: what is the first thing people see on Kym., when she enters the room? 2 of the players answered: her smile. :-) :-) I had a completely different answer to this Q., a really stupid one.

I have a tendency to think rather negative about myself. This was a good opportunity to have a look at myself from a different angle. Perhaps it is time to try to discover positive characteristics of me.

I saw the light

Music:
"Something/Anything?" – Tod Rundgren
"Body Acoustic" - Michiel Borstlap
Mood:
"I saw the light"

In wintertime, especially around Christmas, you see many houses and gardens decorated with illuminations. Some are really gorgeous, some are very colourful, some are rather subtle and simple. I personally like simple, small, miniature lights (those very tiny ones, how are they called in English?).
I saw this one tonight in my neighbourhood. “Love” - a very suitable message for Christmas.

Christmas message

Morning sky

I couldn’t help posting this photo, taken by Sjaak yesterday morning at 8:30. From his window! Just like that. Well, we have no mountains or desert here. But the morning sky yesterday was very spectacular. Living in Utrecht isn’t so bad... in fact, not bad at all.

Morning sky



P.S.
Okay, I have to confess: I missed this spectacle… I was still sound asleep. Could anyone find a decent alarm clock for me, please? I have already 4, but none of them seems to be powerful enough to wake me up. :-(

Bull's mutter

"I don't like this... I look like an idiot. Why do they always make a clown of me? I, a noble and proud bullterrier of dignity, don't deserve this."

What's on the menu?

...I think I'll have plaice today...

Robust, sweet, intense…

...rich, firm, smooth, beautifully balanced, warming, caressing, sedative… Where are you, my Prince on a white horse (or in a red Ferrari)? …Ay, no - this is about a scotch, Ardbeg 30 years old. I’m going to take the last sip tonight. ...Such a great Islay.

Ardbeg 30 years old

2 is a crowd

Music: “Jaco Pastorius”/Jaco Pastorius – again and again and again…
Mood: Relieved. Opus Pocus’d, jazzing up with Jaco :-)

Here, 2 of the Gang again, Pippie and Ponta. Pippie is the one who always gets her way.

2 is a crowd…



...Solution



Updating:
Here’s another photo of the genius hammock for cats. Sjaak sent this to me to show how happy Boris (his cat) is in this warm, comfortable bed. Nice color, BTW. Pet gimmicks are much more fashionable nowadays than they used to be.

Boris in his beautiful red hammock

Shooz

I’ve been busy with my bed room reform project for quite a while now. The walls and the woodwork are painted, the floor is ready. I promised to myself to set up the closet again and put the stuff back there, and then tidy up my blue room (where all my stuff is now) before Christmas.

The inventory:
#1 Shoes: Uhm... I'm kinda speachless myself... But well, I thought I had more. Here I counted only (!) 41 pairs (+ 1 pair of slippers I’m wearing). When I started the project, I had to throw some away. That’s why! :-)
BTW, believe or not, it's been 2 years now since my last visit to a shoe shop... (Okay, okay, I have enough shoes for the coming 5 years!)

P.S.
You haven’t seen my bags yet…

The shoes