Friday, October 03, 2008

I Love Your Blog

I came by this award the easy way. All I did was visit Debs at The Lehners In France and she was giving it away to her first 14 commenters, so I took advantage of that. It's not every day that I come by such a pretty award that easily and I did seize the moment. You can't blame me, can you? But now I am going to stick to the rules again and hand it out to 7 deserving people who I hope don't have this one yet and will be happy with it. So, here we go. I am giving this award to the following blogs:

There, I've been a good girl and done my duty and I hope I've made some of you happy with this little token of my appreciation. I'd give all of you a chocolate cake and a bunch of roses if I could, but distance prevents me from doing so. You'd be surprised if I showed up at your doorstep with those things in my hands, wouldn't you?

Now I've got another problem on my hands. I got one letter from the Tax Office saying I'm getting 4 months worth of rent subsidy, and one letter saying I am getting nothing at all. Of course, I called about it right away and the woman I got on the phone could not explain it, but she promised me that someone would call me back with an answer within three days time, between 9 and 11 AM. Today is the last day. If nobody has called me by 11 AM, I suppose I will be calling them and in the meantime, I am down to my last 2.31 Euros. Yes, I like to live dangerously, but I had in fact counted on the subsidy money already being in the bank. God forbid anything should go smoothly when it comes to my finances.

I am trying to remember what I did yesterday, but my mind comes up with a great big blank. I know I was very cold every time I went outside. We had no rain, but there was a cold wind blowing that made you shiver in your shoes. I am constantly wearing a scarf now when I go out and I think I want to start wearing a double layer of clothing. Today I am wearing thick socks and when I walked the Überhund just a while ago, I made it a short walk, because I thought it was too cold.

Every year you have to get used to the cold again and learn to dress for it and remember to wear enough clothes. It's really not so much the low temperature, as the wind that makes you cold. I remember the first year I was back in the Netherlands and it was January and it was cold and I was so miserable and thought it was the most awful place to be. Well, I came from California. We would stand at the bus stop, waiting for the darn bus to get there, and just curse the wind that blew at us across the empty fields. The only person who wasn't miserable was my son, who moved to Alaska some years later.

It is true though, that the cold seasons make you appreciate the springtime very much and you really do stand full of awe when everything turns green again and all sorts of stuff pops up out of the ground. This summer went by quickly, though, and we didn't have much of one. One day it was springtime and then it was Autumn again. It was over and done with in no time at all. We certainly tried to be optimistic by wearing our summer clothes, but very often we deceived ourselves and were under dressed.

Now, of course, some people are hoping for a cold winter so that the Eleven City Skating Tour can be held. Thousands of people participate in it, but it can only be held if all the canals and lakes are frozen over with a thick layer of ice. The Tour is 200 kilometers long and the last one was in 1997. I, for one, don't wish for a winter that cold, but I do remember kids skating on the pond where my sister and I walk the dogs. We also had a lot of snow then and all over the place there were snowmen in the gardens.

My father and I had the tradition that we would go for a walk in the first new snow of the winter and as it usually started to snow in the evening, we would be the first people to make footsteps in it and we always liked that very much. My father was a sledding and skating father. That's what he did with us in the wintertime when there was always snow and ice, it seems. Isn't it great that nobody can take your memories away from you? All by yourself you can cherish those, no matter what.

Ah, I'm reminiscing, I'm in that sort of mood. That won't get the dishes done and the laundry clean. I've got to snap out of that instantly, but it was nice while it lasted. Now I am going to do some useful things around here, because I don't remember doing many useful things yesterday. It is a lost day.

Have a good day, you all.

Ciao...

13 comments:

Bev said...

It is getting cold here too, and it hasn't been cold like this for quite a few years. I remember going into school a few years ago with some clothes because I was worried about one of mines' hands turning blue in the playground, but for the last few years they haven't even needed any.

It makes me think we may be in for a cold winter.

Babaloo said...

Thank you so much for this cute award! :-) And I wouldn't have minded at all if you'd showed up on my doorstep with a cake as well!

Sorry to hear about the problem with the rent subsidy and the 2 letters. Hope it can all be sorted out later. 2.31 Euro is certainly not enough for the weekend. Bureaucrats!

Mean Mom said...

How terrifying for you, that you have so little money, just at the moment. I do hope that the situation is sorted out, today.

It is suddenly very cold, here, too. When I went out on Wednesday, I had to come back, for a warmer coat. I realised, later, that I would need to find out my scarf and gloves, too! We do have a little sunshine, though.

Anonymous said...

Oh Irene. Thank you so much for this honour. I love your blog too so I it's a double honour.

As for the cold, it's totally freezing here! We're off upto Scotland later and I have all my winter woollies packed.

Take care,
CJ xx

The Writer said...

Gotta love the government! I guess its the same all over the world! I hope you get things straightened out soon.

Last night was the second fire we've had for heat all season so far. It seems that autumn blew in two days ago, although the leaves have been changing for a while. Like many of our neighbors, we heat with a wood furnace here. Its a whole lot cheaper and warmer for us, especially in heavy winter.

Those times of sledding and skating with your dad sound so beautiful! Treasured memories, hang onto them!

Happy wandering!

The Writer...and her dog, Bear

Breakfast in California said...

The climate has gone bonkers, we turned on the a/c for the first time! It was well over 90 in the shade and we just couldn't stand it any longer. I wish we could send you a bit of warmth.

aims said...

Ahhh - thank you sweetie! I appreciate you thinking of me with this award. I'd love for you to show up at my door - without the chocolate and flowers - just show up and come inside and sit with a cup of my brother's home roasted coffee. (you'd have to smoke out on the deck)

Dreams are ours to keep and cherish as well as memories.

Do me a favor Irene - measure the length of your foot please and email it to me if you would?

Liv said...

well, that was certainly a bowl full of blog! my head is spinning! ;)

Elaine Denning said...

I hope you get your finances sorted out soon, Irene. It always amazes me that people who should know what they're doing don't have a clue really. I once had a letter from my doctor's surgery calling me in for a cervical smaear. I had to phone them and tell them I no longer had a cervix!

I LOVE the snow. I wish we had it more often over here.

The Writer said...

Hi again, Irene,

I've got the answer to your crate question in today's post...day 40 if you don't get to it today. Hope all is good!

Happy wandering!

The Writer...and her dog, Bear

Anonymous said...

Irene,
That is horrible about the two different letters from the Government. You certainly don't need to deal with such frustrations. I hope it gets fixed soon.

It is starting to get cold here too. I actually put the heat on. I like the cold, it is the snow that drives me crazy. We get too much of it.

Doesn't sound like a wasted day to me, sounds relaxing. We all need days like that.

XXXXXX

Wisewebwoman said...

Indian summer here Irene, I am so in love with this glorious weather tho days are short barely 12 hours. All my clothes on the line today with the sea breeze making them dance like dervishes.
I hope your money gets sorted.
that must be soooo scary.
XO
WWW

Lucky Dip Lisa said...

Found you:)