Singing birds...

It's early in the morning and I've been up for a while. I woke up from two cats fighting on the patio, Toby being one of them, I'm sure, and I tried to go back to sleep. I was almost successful, but then I had to go to the toilet and was really awake after that, so I decided to get up and enjoy the wee hours of the morning in peace and quiet. Actually, I felt an unbridled passion for life and I didn't want to miss any part of it by sleeping. I was too excited to stay in bed and had to get up and do something.

I made my first cup of coffee and sipped it slowly and felt great. I answered my emails and enjoyed the dark silence around me. I like sleeping during the night, but I must say that these are the most gratifying hours of the day and I like being up. There's not a hair on my head that thinks about going back to bed. Now the birds have started singing and it is a very joyful sound. They greet the sun as it starts to rise and are full of hope for the brand new day, as am I. I can't wait for the day to start and do the things I have to do, although one of them is maybe less pleasant, and that is taking Tyke to the vet for the operation on his eye, but the outcome will be fine and his eye will be cured and that is good.

I'm also getting my hair cut today and I'm looking forward to that, because to me going to the hairdresser is a treat that I always enjoy. I like being fussed over and enjoy the ambiance in the shop. Everybody speaks dialect there, which I can decipher, but not speak, and it is all sort of laid back and easy. No stress. I love getting my hair washed, although I hate to see myself afterwards in the mirror, but the I think that everybody feels that way before they undergo their metamorphosis. You should never be too critical of yourself and the light in the shop is harsh, so don't judge yourself too strongly. All those wrinkles don't show up at home in the bathroom mirror. That's the only light to judge yourself by. It's all an illusion.

Yesterday the Exfactor came by for coffee and did my grocery shopping. I do manage to stay around the same reasonable amount of money every week and I am much pleased with that, because it isn't very much at all. I more or less get the same things every week, so it is very predictable. I've managed to work out a way to live on the least amount of money possible and not go hungry and have enough food for the animals and treats too. When you're living on a minimum income, that's a matter of pride. You make your Euro stretch as far as it will go. It's almost a sport with an exciting ending every month.

I had to go see my SPN afterwards and we had an upbeat conversation for a change. Well, that gives the wrong impression. It's not one big lament when I go there. I always leave there wiser than I was when I went in, but now I am in a much better frame of mind, so the conversation was much more positive. I felt like I was unbeatable and very much in charge, but willing to learn. I guess that is good. You do have to keep your ears open for good advice and be willing to follow up on whatever you commit to.

It was a very beautiful day, I think better than was forecast and the sun was shining all day and I didn't need a jacket on my bike. The day had a very summery feel to it and everybody seemed very relaxed, even the people in the traffic. I didn't encounter any maniacs. I did run a red light, but luckily there was no one to control it. Sometimes they do on that spot and they write lots of tickets, because lots of bicyclists run that red light. That's because it's green too short and there are always lots of bikes crossing that road.

Someone wrote, "It's great that everything is coming up roses," but here everything is coming up buttercups and daisies and purple clover. The fields are full of them and it looks very pretty. It would be a shame now if they mowed the grass. The bumble bees are very busy collecting pollen and I see them all over the place. They seem to like the clover the best. The dandelions have all gone to seed and there will be that many more next year. The grassy fields are not immaculate like they are in California where there are no wildflowers to be seen. At least not in the neighborhood I lived in.

It's going to be a cooler day today and it may even rain here in the South. That's because of a low pressure system that's laying over France and moving slightly to the north. We need the rain, though, and many of the crops are late growing in the fields. The potatoes are not even above ground level yet and they should have been thriving already. It's been a strange spring and everything in nature was late. Winter lasted so long. It's going to be cool all week, but that's okay. At least I get to wear the clothes I like. That's just my own personal point of view and may not reflect the general attitude of the Dutch.

Tyke's sound asleep on the coffee table and doesn't seem to realize that it's almost time to go for a walk. I won't wake him, but wait for him to make up his own mind. He's not allowed to eat anything now, not even a treat, so it's going to be a little tough for him today. He won't understand why I won't give him anything to eat after his walk and will be confused. You can't explain that to a dog and it just seems cruel. I hope he forgives me. The poor thing has a tough day ahead of him. The anesthetics make him sick, so it's not much fun for him. He'll have to wear that awful collar too, to prevent him from scratching his eye. You should see him try to eat and drink water with that on his head.

I have to take my medicines and get dressed. It's time to start the day. I say, world, here I come.

Ciao,
Nora