Friday afternoon...

I just woke up from a big old nap and I think I'm in a good enough mood now to try and write a post. I've been seriously lacking in good humor and whatever post I tried to write I had to delete because I was not happy with it. It think it is very possible that I was just plain grumpy all this time and that nothing at all made me happy. It's good to own up to this and to not beat around the bush. When grumpy, admit that you are. It's the easiest way to get back to feeling normal.

Well, I'm glad I got that settled. Everything in life should be that easy. It is when you only have yourself to deal with. It's another story all together when you have to take other people into the equation. Not that I'm having a particular problem with anyone. It's just a general sort of observation I'm making. 

Today is the 12th day since I stopped smoking and I'm still going strong. I still feel the urge to smoke now and then but it's getting decidedly less. I haven't climbed any walls yet. It's gone amazingly easy, I think. Those nicotine patches are wonderful and have really saved my life. I'm sure I would not be doing as well without them. Tomorrow I start on a lesser dose. I will be curious to see if my body is going to notice the difference. I don't really expect any problems. 

It has just started to snow outside. On the news earlier today they said it would and to expect a lot. I still have to walk the dog and I will be taking him out shortly. He loves the snow but show me a dog that doesn't. He pushes his nose into it as far as it will go and breathes deeply. He's like a hippo underwater.

I suppose I should be happy that it's Friday again. I am somewhat. I hope the weekend is going to be interesting enough. I have the feeling that I will be taking lots of naps unless something unexpected happens. Naps always save my life. That and good television. 

Have a good weekend yourselves.

Ciao,

Nora

Past midnight and all is well...

In my sleep I compose interesting sentences to put in my blog posts but when I wake up they immediately recede to the back of my mind to become irretrievably lost to me. Only a vague imprint of them remains in my mind but not enough to be able to use them. I know they were very profound because I'm sure I only dream very profound things. I'm convinced that I don't waste my dreams on frivolous subjects. 

Having stated that, I have to tell you that it's been eight days since I stopped smoking and that I haven't had a cigarette since then. Who would have thought that possible? I'm mighty proud of myself and know I can do it from this point on. I have no doubt about it that I'm an ex-smoker now even though it's only been a short time since I quit. To me it already seems like a very long time. 

Yesterday it snowed all day long. Imagine my surprise when I opened up the curtains in the morning and saw snow. I hadn't heard the weather forecast and had no idea that it was supposed to. It finally stopped snowing in the evening and there's none falling now. I'm not thrilled about it but the world is pretty. It's supposed to turn into an icy sludge during the day which is less fun. I'm sure I won't be happy about taking the dog out in it. 

These times that I'm up are just interludes between naps. That's how I view them. I'm momentarily awake. My true mission is to go back to bed and sleep some more. It's the most pleasant way of existing that I can think of, especially the times just before I fall asleep and when I just wake up. Those are the times when I'm filled with happiness. I have my own quiet joy all by myself then. 

I'm having a glass of cold milk and it's very refreshing. I had a cup of coffee to straighten out my head but it hardly needed straightning out. It was the last of the coffee and I have been drinking tea today. It was not too bad an experience. It was black tea that I thought I had problems with but it was fine. I'll have tea in the morning and hope it suffices in waking me up. 

The Exfactor will be here and together we will go to the cheap store where they sell everything but the kitchen sink. I've heard they have duvet covers on sale there right now. I hope to find some other things that I may need and I'm going to browse through the store and have a good look around. Maybe there will be things to decorate the apartment with. A person can always hope. 

I'm going back to bed. Hopefully I will sleep for a few more hours. 

Ciao,

Nora

During the night...

I'm drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, although it's awfully early to be up already. No doubt this means that I will go back to bed later, but it is Christmas day and everything is allowed. I didn't hang my stocking, because Santa Claus was not expected here, so I don't have to inspect it for any goodies, although some mandarin oranges would have been nice. I did have some cookies as a treat last night before I went to bed and I shared them with Tyke. They were in the care package I received. We enjoyed them very much and there are enough left to last the weekend.

It finally stopped snowing sometime at the end of the afternoon yesterday after it had snowed for more than 24 hours. Limburg got about 50 cm of snow. There was a strong wind also that blew the snow sideways. Nevertheless, the Exfactor managed to get here by train and bring me the extra mobile phone, bless his heart. He is a noble knight indeed. I told him that this was over and beyond the call of duty, but he considered it a matter of honor.

There was some question if my sim-card was undamaged, but when we put it in the other mobile phone we found out that it was and that it worked fine. It recognized my code and it did have all my phone numbers in its memory. All we had to do was recharge the phone. Since then I've played with it and changed all the sounds it can make and I've picked out a jazzy tune for when it rings. Now I just want someone to call me. Hopefully, that will happen soon, although my sister called when it was still playing Pachelbel's Canon. 

I really have to stop and remind myself that it's Christmas, although it's a white one, because it feels just like an ordinary weekend. My sister and I are supposed to go on a guided town walk, but we won't go if the weather is bad. It's going to be partly sunny today, but there may be a cold wind blowing, so we will have to see. It would be nice to stay home and read a good book also. There's quite a bit of snow out there, so it may be tough going. 

Anyway, have a Merry Christmas you all. I hope you enjoy yourselves a lot and eat well and get lots of good presents. 

Ciao,

Nora

Some of everything...

There was icy rain last night when I went to bed, but it has since turned to snow and there's a new layer of it on top of what was left of the old one. It's going to snow today and tonight and tomorrow too, so we will have a white Christmas. That doesn't happen very often, so I guess we should be happy about that, because of that song that says that we're always dreaming of it. Just like the ones we used to know. Even back then people were nostalgic for white Christmases. Well, we are having one, so that takes care of that.

Because it's been too long since I've had my hair cut, I get to go to the hairdresser this morning. I can't wait to go and get a decent haircut. It's more than high time. I called for an appointment yesterday afternoon and they were kind enough to squeeze me in, even though they were pretty much booked full. I think it helped that I've been a steady customer for such a long time. Cutting my hair doesn't take such a long time, so it can be done somewhat easily in between everything else. I do appreciate that. 

You all know that I love going to the hairdresser and getting my hair washed and fussed over. I like nothing better than sitting there and watching the girl shape my hair with the scissors. I'm never in any fear of it being ruined, as long as she follows my instructions. You must never be afraid to speak up. That's what's so good about always going to the same hairdresser. You aren't shy when you want to put your two cents worth in. 

Yesterday, I received a large box with a Christmas care package in it. There were all sorts of wonderful and practical foods in it. I found out that I had gotten it from the Green Cross through the mediation of my Wednesday personal helper. She got to pick out some clients who she thought were deserving of a useful surprise and had picked me amongst them. It was a true cornucopia. 

The Exfactor was here when it arrived and we looked through it together, which gave me the opportunity to give him the things that were made of meat, such as the large salami. I would never eat that. I saved the can of knackwursts for Tyke. There were enough foods in there that I can use, though, including a big piece of cheese and a package of coffee. I can't tell you how happy I was with it. It really was a big surprise. 

Last night, I left my mobile phone sitting on the small table next to my armchair and you can all guess what Tyke did with it, right? He chewed on it to the point that it isn't working anymore. Now nobody can call me, because I don't have my land line anymore. Luckily, the Exfactor has another mobile phone that he can let me use and he is going to bring it by on Friday. I will be able to stick my memory card in it and have it work, hopefully. Unless it is ruined also. That darn dog! And the Exfactor had just bought him new rawhide bones and he had one available that he had been chewing on. Grrr...

It's going to be colder for the next several days and I think I'm going to need to wear a warmer cardigan than the one I've been wearing. It will be a great opportunity to wear my red one, which is my favorite one. All my clothes are starting to smell like the new perfume I'm wearing and it is very pleasant, until I wash them. My scarves all have that scent. I've just found out that this discount store where the Exfactor bought it, also sells Gloria Vanderbilt perfume very cheaply, so I may want to get a bottle of that and alternate scents on different days. 

Well, it's been a mixed bag of news. Some good and some not so good, the former outweighing the latter.  I think I'll get dressed now and get ready for the rest of the day. I've got to find a battery for my alarm clock. It's stopped working and continually points to 5 o'clock. 

Have a good day.

Ciao,

Nora 

In the time it takes snow to fall...

After today, the days will start getting longer again, although the warming up effect will not be felt for a long time yet. It will be March before we feel anything like warm sunshine again and go about without wearing layers of clothes. I can't even imagine that now. What it will be like to go outside without a jacket on and a scarf. It will be the most amazing and appreciated thing. I look forward to it already, but that doesn't mean that I'm miserable now.

I refuse to suffer from the weather the way it is now and I'm bound and determined to make the best of it. Of course, not many demands are made of me and I don't have to travel far away from home. I can go anywhere I have to on foot or stay home if I choose to do so. I don't have to get in a car and drive half an hour to get to my job. Woe are those who have to. It's a tough assignment, but it can be done with a lot of patience. It just may take a while longer. 

More snow has fallen during the night and there really is a winter wonder landscape now. It's possible to look at it in awe if you forget the negative aspects. You just mustn't try to get anywhere far away in a hurry. If you just walk through it slowly, it's very pretty, but you must be dressed for it. Kids in the neighborhood have built snowmen and forts and done very good jobs at them. I remember making them when I was a kid and we had winters like this. They weren't unusual back then. 

I wish I could tell you that I had slept for a good  long time, but I didn't. Just as I was about to go to bed last night, my sister called me to tell me that she had gotten home safely from Milan and that was a relief, because we hadn't been sure if it would have been possible. For some reason, her plane, bus, train and taxi all were on time and had no delays or problems with the weather whatsoever, while there had been delays and cancellations all over the place. She must have had a guardian angel.

I woke up early, because Tyke and I both had urgent toilet needs, and I stayed up. I was ready to be awake and enjoy the silent hours of the morning. I do have to forsake some sleep for that, but hopefully I can take a nap later today. 

The Exfactor is supposed to be here today to do the groceries, but there's some question as to if he's going to make it. It depends on the weather. Even he isn't indestructible. I'm going to see my SPN this afternoon and I will walk there, because I'm not sure if it's safe to ride my bike. I don't know how clean the streets are. Mine isn't at any rate. 

Oh, I had been waiting with dread for the end of year energy bill and was afraid that I would have to pay a phenomenal amount of money extra, because last winter had been cold and dark and I was afraid that I'd used more energy than I had paid for. My neighbors had gotten a huge end of year bill and I was prepared for the worst. 

It came in the mail yesterday. I said a silent prayer and opened the envelope and looked at both the gas bill and the electric bill. In both cases not only did I not have to pay anything extra, I was even getting a couple of euros back. I thanked God with a huge sigh of relief. That was a load off my shoulders. Whatever I'm doing, I'm doing right, because I don't pay a very large monthly amount. I must have a guardian angel too. 

This goes to prove the theory that's developing that a lot of things go right. That there are all these little happy endings all over the place. All I have to do is be on the look out for them and I can consider myself lucky. I can think of many instances when a piece of good luck came my way just when I needed it. When the timing was just right and I was saved by the bell. 

Now I've got to take my medicines and start the day. It's nice and warm in here, so I can get dressed now. I hate to take off my bathrobe if it's still chilly. 

Have a nice day, even if you're snowed in. 

Ciao,

Nora

Culture...

I got up early this morning and was full of good intentions. I didn't want to act like it was another weekend day and waste it sitting around in my bathrobe, not accomplishing anything. The first thing I did early this morning was walk Tyke when it was still dark outside and cold. It was even snowing a little bit. Luckily, Tyke cooperated and got his business over and done with quickly, so we could return to the warm apartment soon. I did let him sniff around on the field for a while, but it was too cold to linger long. 

Once we got back inside the apartment, I realized that I was still a bit sleepy and I laid down on the sofa under the red fleece blanket and closed my eyes for a while. I had planned to watch the cultural programs that were going to be on that morning, so I had turned on the television, but all I saw were 5 minutes of news and then I fell asleep and didn't wake up until noontime, so I slept for a long time. 

I immediately made myself a cup of coffee, and then another one, so that I would be alert and well and then I took Tyke for another walk. It was a bit less cold outside and the sun was shining. Still, there was a lot of ice underneath the freshly fallen snow and walking was a bit treacherous, even in my new boots. I certainly mustn't get a false sense of security, because I can still slip and fall. 

After I took Tyke home, I walked to the tobacco shop very carefully, although in some places people had cleaned their sidewalks really well. They had sprinkled them with salt and gotten rid of all the ice. I slipped a few times, but managed to find my footing anyway, so they were just close calls. 

I bought a chocolate bar at the tobacco shop along with my usual supplies and made my way home, aware now of the treacherous places and avoiding them as much as possible. Tyke and Gandhi came to greet me both when I walked in the front door and you would have thought that I'd been gone for hours. It does feel good to be welcomed so, although Tyke was also very curious about what was in the bag that I was carrying. I didn't give him a chance to look, afraid that he'd find the chocolate bar.

I watched television all afternoon. Some of it was interesting and some of it was inane. At least I was dressed and I wasn't sitting around in my bathrobe. That was one redeeming feature. At least it wasn't a day like last Saturday that I let completely go to waste. I do feel that I did something useful. 

I'm waiting for it to start snowing again, because it is supposed to. I'll go walk Tyke in the snow. The country has been in chaos because of the snow and the ice. Planes, trains and automobiles have been delayed or canceled or stuck in traffic jams. People are told not to go anywhere unless they absolutely have to. There's a terrible mess at Schiphol Airport and many passengers are stranded. 

I must go and watch the latest news. 

Have a good evening.

Ciao,

Nora

The sound of snow...

It rained during the night and in the morning, turning all the snow and ice into slush and puddles. Then it snowed for a couple of hours this afternoon, but it just added to the mess on the ground and turned it into more slush. There isn't a soul outside and I don't think anyone in their right mind would go out there, because it's miserable. It's just started snowing again and it doesn't look very appealing. The weather forecast changes all the time. I don't think anyone knows what the weather will bring.

I was up early this morning and had my coffee and cigarettes and wrote a post for one of my other blogs, but when I was done with that, I went back to bed and slept until past noontime. That's what I really needed. It was very pleasant and when I woke up I felt like I was really done sleeping. Sometimes I'm too optimistic when I get up early in the morning and I should really stay in bed and sleep some more. Especially on a day like today. 

Tyke got into the old books that were on the bookcase in my bedroom and tore them apart. There is a total mess in my bedroom and I haven't had the courage to clean it up yet. I'll have to get a trash bag and throw everything away. I didn't notice a thing while I was asleep. It looks like he had a frenzy. Imagine me not waking up from that. 

He didn't look the least bit guilty when I got up. He was wagging his tail. I just moaned and wondered when he was going to outgrow this behavior. He had several of his toys to play with in the bedroom, so I thought he wouldn't be bored, but I was wrong. He does get his revenge on me when I sleep. At least he doesn't get into any good stuff in the rest of the apartment. Knock on wood.

The snow is starting to stay on the ground, so that means it's cold enough. I do feel it cooling off in here. The heater should start up any moment now.

Well, I'm off to clean up the mess and to put the trash out. A most frustrating job. 

Ciao,

Nora

Under the weather...

I'm sitting here in the late afternoon with my second cup of coffee. I am enjoying it very much. It is hot and tasty and freshly made. While I am writing this. I also have to throw the rubber ball with the bell in it for Tyke, so I'm doing double duty.  It was stuck beneath the sofa, so I had to get it out from underneath first with the help of the African walking stick. It is his favorite ball now and he completely ignores his tennis balls. 

Today we got a pulling rope with a latex tennis ball attached to it in the mail. You can all guess what happened to the tennis ball in the shortest amount of time, right? He was tearing that apart within no time. I had to cut the rest of it off before he swallowed all of it. Luckily, we still have the pulling rope and it seems to be pretty sturdy. I think it will last a while. Fingers crossed. 

I may or may not be coming down with something. I have just a bit of a sore throat and a cough and a headache and I was especially tired today and spent a lot of it sleeping. As a matter of fact, I'm still in my bathrobe and pajamas and have no desire to get dressed. I have sore muscles and I'm tired. I have been around a lot of people who were or are sick, so it wouldn't surprise me if I picked something up. I rarely get ill, though, and I bet I'll be over this in no time. I'm a pretty sturdy woman. I'll take some aspirin and be as good as new in the shortest amount of time. 

It snowed a little bit this morning, but we're not expecting any more now. Tomorrow it's going to rain and on Sunday as well. Things will turn into a nice slush and be drabby. After we had all that snow yesterday that coated all the ice, I'm almost sorry to see it go, but it will be nice to have clean streets and sidewalks for as long as it lasts. Who knows what the winter will bring us? I hope this was it for now, but I'm afraid to be hopeful. I remember last year very well with the seemingly endless cold and snow. 

I was playing ball with Tyke, but he just rediscovered his pulling rope, so he's forgotten all about me and the ball. That means I can sit and concentrate on what I'm doing. I don't know if it will make any difference as to the quality of my writing. I think the distraction may have been good for me. At least it prevented me from daydreaming. I must not fall into reveries now... 

Well, he let me play tug of war with him very reluctantly. It's his rope and I better remember that. 

These are the boots I ordered with the profiled soles. They are from Scapino, but they look like Ugg boots and they are lined also. I expect them to be pretty comfortable. I hope they withstand the test on the ice, that's the most important thing, but if they are warm also, then that would be good too. I don't have any warm boots. I can already see myself walking in these like a Laplander, ready to go get my reindeer.  I wish my sheepskin coat matched them in color, but I have no such luck, drats. Now I must save up my money to buy such a coat.

That puts me on a whole new train of thought. Those of winter coats and how to get the best one and when to buy one. I must put some thought into this. Mmm...

I do get ideas into my head that get stuck there and that are hard to get rid of once they do. I do fixate on things. I will be looking for the coat I want everywhere now. As if I can afford it, right? I would probably have to steal it and I'm too honest for that. I couldn't get away with it. Darn.

Have a good evening!

Ciao,

Nora

Just how cold is it?

When I walked Tyke for the last time yesterday evening, I almost slipped and fell when I crossed the street, because it was as slippery as an ice skating rink. The whole street is like that and so are all the streets in the neighborhood. None of them have been treated for the snow and subsequently have turned to ice. 

I'm now afraid to walk on them, because my boots have no profile and I can fall very easily. I don't want to wear last years hiking boots, because they are too small and caused me so much trouble with my little toe that took forever to heal. The sidewalks are only a little bit better and it's best when I walk Tyke to walk on the grass as much as possible, because there I don't slip. 

I was supposed to see my SPN and my psychiatrist this morning, but I don't want to ride my bike, because I'm sure I'll have an accident, as there are no such thing as snow tires for bicycles, and I don't want to walk all the way over there on the slippery sidewalks and streets in this cold. The wind chill factor makes it minus 17 degrees Celsius. 

Maybe somebody braver than me would do it, but I'm awfully afraid of breaking a bone and being helpless.  I imagine myself lying in the middle of the street with  a broken leg and having to go to the hospital while the animals are home all alone. Gandhi was already very distraught when Tyke and I were gone at the neighbors yesterday morning and needed a lot of attention from both of us to get back to normal. She's not used to being on her own for such a long time. 

Anyway, I simply can't afford to fall and break a bone, so I'm going to cancel my appointment and not go anywhere until the ice and snow have melted, other than take Tyke for walks, which is dangerous enough. Things should melt by the end of this weekend when temperatures will rise and we will have rain. Rain will be  most welcome.

In the meantime I'm sitting here working on my third cup of coffee, which I probably won't be able to finish. It tasted good while it lasted and the coffee woke me up well enough. I got me functioning anyway. It is always such a bother to make that pot of coffee in the morning with my sleepy head, but it sure is nice when it's done and I've got my first cup.

Tyke is eating his new dog food when he realized there was not anything else I was going to give him and he already chased Gandhi away from it with an angry growl. Gandhi retreated to the coffee table with hurt feelings. Tyke's right in defending his food, though. She does have her own bowl of kibbles on the kitchen counter. She just assumes that everything that belongs to Tyke, belongs to her too. That's how attached she is to him. She thinks they are a unit. They probably can't live without each other. Judging by how she greeted him yesterday, that's probably true. 

I've got to get dressed and go out and brave the elements to walk Tyke. I do worry about that slippery street. Just now I saw a young girl on her bike slip and make a smack. I felt so sorry for her. She got up okay and went on her way. Cars go by very slowly. I am exactly at the intersection of three streets, so I'm waiting for the sounds of a crash. I hope not.

Have a good day!

Ciao,

Nora

Snow!

It's been snowing for about four hours and we have several centimeters of it. So far it's still pretty and Tyke and I have already been out in it. We got a dusting of it all over ourselves. I was smart enough to wear my snow hat and it didn't mess up my hair too much. Tyke enjoyed it in the snow. I knew he would. He's that kind of dog, but I think all dogs like snow. They are like kids and like the adventure of it. It's going to keep snowing tonight and during the night. It's going to be cold.

I had a productive day today anyway. I got chores done in the morning and took a shower and found some nice clothes to wear. I discovered a top that I had forgotten the existence of. Isn't it nice if you are forgetful? It made me think of another top I had forgotten the existence of. Then I rediscovered some ankle boots that were very dusty, so I cleaned them up and put them on and took Tyke for a walk. 

I made phone calls that were necessary and checked my bank account and discovered a little surprise, which made me happy, and tried to figure out a way to get 10 detailed and descriptive bills from the Internet company, but I'm still working on that. I may not be successful with them, because I have an All in One Package and pay a flat rate. 

When my personal helper got here, I already had a lot of things done and I was ready to sit down and have a cup of coffee and a good chat, which I don't think she minded. We did do the dishes and I broke the handle of one of my favorite mugs. I will see if I'm able to glue it back on. I hope I have the right glue. I don't want the handle to come unstuck when the mug is filled with hot chocolate. 

Right after she left, the Exfactor showed up, but he was unable to fix my tire, because he didn't bring the right tools to take my chain guard off. Apparently, my screwdrivers were too short, so he's coming back tomorrow. That's when he'll do the groceries too, because he was unable to do them without the use of my bike. Luckily, I have just enough milk left to last until the morning. Actually, I think he was too tired and in no shape to do the job. It's better if he does it tomorrow when he's better rested. 

In the meantime, my domestic help had shown up and as a treat to me she completely cleaned up my whole patio of all the leaves that had covered it and she got it done in half the time it would have taken me. It had been a job that the prospect of was going to give me ulcers. I fretted about it so much and the longer I put it off, the worse it got and now, just on time, she got it done before the snow started to fall. I do feel like I have guardian angels in my life. 

She does stay and visit now when she's done with her work and we talk about  ordinary every day things and get to know each other. I'm old enough to be her mother and she says 'thee' to me. I like people addressing me that way. It's a sign of respect and I appreciate it. I do reciprocate by being respectful to her too. 

After she left, I walked Tyke in the snow and when I came home I discovered that I had no Internet connection, which I tried to remedy by taking the cable out of the modem for 5 minutes like they recommend, but I did that five times and I still had no connection, so I called technical help. The woman there told me to check my Internet connection at the hard drive and I did and voila, I was on line again. Apparently Tyke had pulled loose the cable when he chased his ball. I must remember to check that, because I think this has happened to me before. I bet I'll forget it again the next time.

The delivery boy from the pharmacy was just at the door and he brought so much cold with him that now I am cold and he was standing in the relatively warm stairwell. It's 28F but it feels like 22F. I will take Tyke out. It's not snowing too badly now.

Have a good evening!

Ciao,

Nora

Through the night...

It is now in the middle of the night and it is 23F degrees outside and the sky is clear. No wonder the heater was coming on. I have the thermostat set low, but the radiators felt warm when I got up. The Heater comes on every once in a while. It's not on continuously. Apparently the apartment is well enough insulated to keep out the worst of the cold.

I went to bed very early last night, because I was completely bored with what was on TV, which is never interesting on Saturday nights, and I wasn't in the mood for blogging either. I laid in bed and listened to the football game on the radio until I dozed off.A football game is also boring enough to drift away by. Who can keep track of all the different players when there are no pictures to look at?

I woke up in a sweat and had to go to the toilet in a hurry and then Tyke had to go out back. I stood by the back door in the cold night air and completely cooled off, which was nice. When you're having a hot flash there's nothing better than the freezing cold on your body. It would have been different if a strong northern wind had been blowing. I might not have enjoyed it as much then.

Since it's the weekend, I decided to stay up and enjoy the silence of the night and catch up on my sleep in the morning. I started a pot of coffee and turned on the computer and answered emails. I can usually do that before I've had my coffee, though I function better mentally after I've had a cup. I probably would write better emails if I waited, but I'm impatient to get them done.

It's going to be cold like this for a while and on Wednesday and the next few days we are expecting snow. So it is predicted. If it will actually come about is another matter all together, because we are promised all sorts of weather that never really happens. Sunshine that doesn't appear and rain that doesn't fall. Weather forecasters do their best, but it still isn't an exact science and they can only make broad predictions and not really pinpoint them all that locally. At least for our area they don't seem to be able to do it. We will see.

I have to make a list of things that I have to take care of. I don't think it's actually going to be that long, but they are things that keep escaping my attention and that I think of when I can't do anything about them. They keep nagging me at the back of my mind and then I start to worry about them at the most inappropriate times. It will be better to get each item down on paper and check it off as I get it done. That seems to be the most sensible thing to do. I'm not a great maker of lists, but I do see the sense of them now. It's a great way to organize your mind and to actually accomplish things. That's one resolution I have to keep. I'm starting mine before it's actually New year's. 

All you other single people out there are my great example. You are all managing your lives and taking care of the details  and problems of it with whatever degree of success, and although I don't know how difficult this is for you, you do seem to pull it off. I never hear any big complains and stories of woe. You all seem to cope and do well. I must remember that I'm not the only middle aged woman on her own who has to figure out her own stuff. Sometimes I get a lot overwhelmed and I don't want to cope at all, but be like an ostrich and put my head in the sand. I wonder if you have the same problem too and how do you overcome that? Do you ever get intimidated by life? 

It's early in the morning now and I'll move on to other things. This has been a nice way way to spend the night. I've taken my time writing this, but I did have to take a tranquilizer and wait for it to work halfway through. I had too much free floating anxiety and worries. 

Have a good morning and enjoy your Sunday. 

Ciao,

Nora

There she comes...

I managed to sleep until 8 o'clock this morning. It was with amazement that I looked at the alarm clock. I don't know how I did it, but somehow I pulled it off. I am very pleased. That means I slept almost nine hours and I will not have to take a nap today. Hallelujah. I will make it through the day just like a regular person, and that is good, because today both my personal helper and my domestic help are going to be here. I will be alert and approachable and in a good mood. Not that I'm always in a bad mood, but I'm more absentminded when I'm sleepy and tired and forget to be very sociable. 

I'm having my second cup of coffee and my third cigarette. I've just taken my medicines and am waiting for them to start working. It's the regular morning routine like so many other mornings, except that I'm doing it later than usual now. Tyke is sitting on his perch on the dining table looking out the window and seems to be completely fascinated by whatever he sees out there. At least he is happy for now. That gives me time to sit here and write and wake up properly. I may be writing this, but I'm on automatic pilot still. I will function well after I've had the second cup. 

Well, the secretary of the Green Cross just called to say that my personal helper is sick, so she won't be coming this morning, which gives me a sea of time. Now I don't have to sit here and rush through this. I was a little concerned about the timing and getting this done before she got here. I'm still sitting here in my bathrobe and I was to take a shower when she got here and get into my clean clothes, so I suppose I will do that on my own now.

It didn't snow last night like was predicted. I suppose it didn't get quite cold enough. It did rain, but this morning the sun is shining and it's going to be 33F, which means it's going to be a nice day, because there will hardly be any wind. It will be nice to go out for a walk with Tyke. 

Because it's Friday again, I'm extra motivated to make it as pleasant a day as possible. It's the pre-weekend day, which is as good as it being the weekend. Sometimes it's hard to remember to enjoy the times that don't consist of responsibilities, although there are many moments of it during the week. I usually have just enough stress with me to not be able to relax completely until the weekend, while really I have no reason not to feel that way during the week. I really need a change of attitude, but I never realize it until it is almost weekend and I see that I have been stressing again during the week.

I look like the wild woman of Borneo. My hair is sticking up all over the place and it is strictly from sleeping on it. There's no hairspray or wax in it. If I didn't know better I'd say static electricity was the cause of it and maybe it is dry enough in the apartment to have caused it. I have had the heater on. It will probably be better once I've washed my hair. 

The mailmen are on strike because 3,100 of them are going to be laid off and be replaced by part time mail deliverers. That's what they will be called. There was no mail yesterday and there will be no mail today, so no reason to go look in the mailbox. Privatization of mail services is a large cause of it and the fact that people send less mail, doing things by email now. I don't think the tide can be turned. We are starting to live in a capitalistic society. Woe is us. 

I have to go and walk the dog. It's time to get the day started. Be at your very best, always. 

Ciao,

Nora

Reluctancy!

Because I am reluctant to spend too much time on the computer for fear that it will take over my life again to the point that it will start stressing me out, I am also reluctant to write a post for fear that I will have nothing interesting to say and that whatever I write will be a boring repeat of the previous one, and that causes me to have writer's block and lose every little bit of imaginative thought I might have had in my head to begin with. Nevertheless, I have to start writing sooner or later, although I do start and then delete and I have done this four times today already, only to shut off the computer with some distaste and to go do something else entirely different.

Tyke is sleeping beside me on the floor where Jesker would have been laying normally had he still been here. It is amazing how one dog so easily took the place of another dog, though it was not that easy for me, but to Tyke that's the place he has to be. I'm teaching him now not to be so subservient when I pet him and to not go lie down on his back with his belly up. I want him to stand or sit when I pet him and he is catching on. I can't stand a subservient dog and I don't want him to show that behavior at all. I know it's normal for young dogs to do it, but I don't have to like it.

It's been slightly raining all afternoon causing the snow to start slowly melting, which is good. The temperatures are going to be higher during the day for the rest of the week, so the rest of the snow will melt and I'm glad about that, because this morning things were slippery. Tomorrow it's actually going to be 6C. Isn't that wonderful? Maybe this is a harbinger of Spring. I hope so. I want to go around and watch green thing pop up. I have to have a good look in people's gardens. Maybe I will discover the beginnings of Springtime there. If all goes according to plan with the snow disappearing, I can go for a longer walk tomorrow and have a good look around. I'll see if those snowdrops are still around and if there are any crocuses coming up yet. I must have faith in that Spring will be here soon. I hang up my hope on that idea. I know I will feel a lot better emotionally once it is here.

Because it's so important that I don't feel any stress, this is just going to be a very short post. I do want to watch the six o'clock news and then watch the Olympics. I will do that nice and cosy on the sofa. I do want to take Tyke for another walk, though, and I'll have to squeeze that in before I do anything else. He's so funny on the leash. Hurry up and stop and hurry up again. Sometimes I almost trip over him.

Have a good evening!

Ciao,
Nora

Destruction!

I had a stack of magazines on the coffee table and while I was asleep on the sofa, Tyke pulled them to the floor and shredded them to pieces. I didn't notice a thing, but woke up to chaos. It was actually very funny, because he stood there wagging his tail as if he had done something very wonderful. When I cleaned everything up, he wanted to "help" and got in the way every time I picked up another piece of paper. He thought we were having a great time. I guess we were, in a way. We were bonding over an activity. They weren't important magazines and he left the Ikea catalog unmolested, so I can easily forgive him, but I do wonder what's next. I've put everything that's important out of reach, but I may have overlooked some things.

Other than that, Tyke is my little lovable ball of fur that I kiss all day long and just want to squeeze and hug. He's so darn adorable. The house training is going very well and he hasn't had any accidents lately and he lets me know when he needs to go outside. He wants to please me and do the right thing and I make a big deal out of it when he does. He sure came into my life at the right time. It couldn't have been more perfect.

Yesterday it was snowing and there are a couple of centimeters on the ground. It was predicted and there will be more today and Friday. It's coming from the cold North where such things are a common occurrence, although they appear to be here too, nowadays. I saw a lot of snowdrops in someone's garden the other day and I wonder if they will still be there when the snow melts. Next week I'm going on a special mission to see if there is anything green poking out of the ground yet.

I slept an awful lot yesterday. I wandered in and out of sleep all day long. It's very healing, though, and it feels like a balsam to my soul, although many poets have said it before me. It is true and it really does work that way and I think people should be given sleeping cures when they deal with something especially difficult. You would have small wakeful periods during which you dealt with the problem you're facing and then sleep for a long time.

Now I'm sitting here in the middle of the night with my cup of coffee and my cigarette and it isn't even my good coffee, because I ran out of that and I'm drinking an inferior coffee that I had left over from a previous purchase. I sure can tell the difference, though, and it is not nearly as enjoyable. You wonder why people buy it at all. Because they don't know any better, I guess. This coffee I drink should be advertised better. Oh no, that would drive the price up, better leave it as it is then.

I've slept on the sofa, preferring that to my bed and I slept in my bathrobe and slippers with Tyke by my feet. It was very cozy. Sometimes I like sleeping on the sofa better. It seems like my bed is just a lonely cold place to go lie down in and not at all comfortable and cozy. I think it has to do with the temperature of the room, because there is only single glass there in the window and it has a tendency to get damp in there. The sheets feel cold when I get into bed. It's better in the summer time when I have the window open and it's nice and warm and dry in there. I'm hard to please.

I'm going back to the sofa now after I eat some porridge. I will turn on the TV for repeats of the news. I missed it last night because I fell asleep during it. Tyke is snoring up a storm. It sounds very funny coming from such a little dog.

Have a good night, I'll see you in the morning.

Ciao...

Choices...

I took Jesker to the vet this afternoon, because his diarrhea is back in full force. The vet was sad to see him again. Because Jesker was not so bloated this time and because he had lost a lot of weight, the vet was able to examine him well and found a tumor the size of a fist in his stomach cavity. It's bad news. He is giving hum an antibiotic cure for ten days to see if it will cure the diarrhea. If so, we wait and see what happens next, although it will probably return. If the antibiotics don't work, I have to make the final decision. The one where I say, it has been enough and I have the vet put him to sleep. This is the fourth time in 3 months time that he has bad diarrhea and it is getting worse every time. Sometimes it's only liquid that comes out. His intestines are starting to stick to the tumor.

I'm taking this very hard, but somehow am amazingly calm about it. I realize that whatever time I have with Jesker now, has to be quality time and I have to make sure that I bond with him as much as I can, while I can.

I, on the other hand, am as fit as a fiddle. Contrary to what the nurse of my GP had me believe, there is absolutely nothing wrong with me and there was really no reason at all for me to go in and see him this afternoon. One of the values of my thyroid hormones was high, but that is only a concern if another value had been high also and that is not the case, so it is functioning just fine. All the other results came back normal. I do not have an infection, or cancer, or a liver dysfunction, or anemia. Everything is perfectly fine. It is with a great deal of relief that I heard this, especially after hearing Jesker's bad news.

So, whatever is going on with me, is purely psychological and must be found in my emotional functioning or malfunctioning. Well, I am a rapid cycling manic depressive, so I go through these extremes of moods and it seems that the medicines I take don't prevent it from happening. Therefor I am seriously beginning to question the use of some of my medications and want to discuss with my psychiatrist the continuation of them. It seems I am no better of with them and may be even worse of in the long run. I don't see myself taking these huge doses of medicines for the rest of my life. Some changes need to be made.

It just snowed very hard for about an hour, so we have a new layer of snow, which will hopefully melt tomorrow when it is supposed to be 4C and raining. I have an appointment with my SPN at 10 am and I do intend to keep it. I'm bound and determined to go. I will walk there.

I rediscovered my long black cardigan that's very warm and that has a collar and two buttons at the front. I'm wearing it over a stretch T-shirt and my Turkish pants. I'm also wearing my red necklace with it. I look very decent.

Someone asked me when I'm going to get rid of my toad picture that's my blog template right now. I guess it is time for me to find another one. You know, I'll gladly do it, if I can find something else that's equally good. I'll have a good look around and see what I can come up with. For those of you who don't like change, you are allowed to raise your voice in protest. It may fall on deaf ears, though.

I act very tough now, but I'm not in the least. When the time comes, things will be very difficult. I don't know how I'm going to live through it yet.

Have a good evening.

Ciao!

Waking up!

I suppose when it really comes down to it, I don't so much write for the sake of you as I write for the sake of myself. I mean that I have a compulsion to write at certain times of the day even when I don't have anything noteworthy to report. I just need to sit here and tell a story and I don't know if I tell you the story or if I tell myself it. I guess it is a letter to myself to remind me of what I have done and thought and mused over and observed, yet if that were completely true I might as well write it in a notebook and not make it public, so obviously I need an audience and feedback. I write an ego document that I want to make known. But I'll try to write as if I'm the only witness to it, though I doubt very much if that is possible. Even Anne Frank wrote to an imaginary friend she called 'Dear Kitty.'

I'll set the scene. I'm sitting here in my very warm, red bathrobe by the desk lamp with my cup of coffee and the inevitable cigarette. My feet are still bare, but soon I will get my slippers on, because my feet will get cold and my toes will feel like ice cubes. The dog is asleep on his blanket, but has been over here to be petted several times. He wags his stubby tail and gives me a mournful look that means, "Don't neglect me."

Outside there is still a little bit of snow, but not very much. Only in the places where the sunshine doesn't reach during the day are there a couple of centimeters. It is 0C outside and it's supposed to be snowing now, but I see no evidence of it. Oh yes, I just had a better look and it is snowing indeed. It's supposed to do that the rest of the day also if I'm supposed to believe the weather forecast on my browser.

I didn't fall asleep until almost midnight. For some reason I went to bed late and read for a long time. I also ate Pringle's Onion and Cheese potato chips. Those were very nice, but made me very thirsty. They must be very salty and I probably had a week's worth of sodium last night. I don't recommend anyone doing this before they go to bed. It's a foolish thing to do. I shouldn't even buy them, but sometimes it is hard to withstand them when you're in the supermarket and you see them there so invitingly on the shelf. I shouldn't go down that aisle anymore. It's actually easy to avoid. I have no business being there.

I can't go back to sleep this morning, because I have to go to the tobacconist and he is only open in the mornings on Mondays. In a little while I have to take my medicines and when I'm done writing this I'll take the dog for his walk. Maybe I'll lie down on the sofa after I've gotten my tobacco. In the afternoon I have to go see my GP for the results of the blood tests and I have been trying to figure out all weekend what he wants to talk to me about that he couldn't discuss over the telephone. It's a mystery to me. I suppose it's normal for me to say that I'm just a little bit worried.

Well, that's all the sharing I have to do this morning. It's not very deep, but I'm not in the mood for an intellectual post today. I have other things on my mind. I'm preoccupied.

Have a nice day!

Ciao.

Drinking coffee...

I'm sitting quite cozily by the desk lamp drinking my coffee after having just finished a tall glass of fruit juice for the thirst. This time I was smart enough to buy two large cartons of fruit juice, so I have enough left, although I may come to find out that I need three to last me the week. The stuff is so good when you are thirsty and nothing else will do to quench that thirst. Not even cold milk, which I used to think was the best cold drink when I was diabetic and didn't know it and was always thirsty. I would drink a liter of it in one go. Now I just drink tall glasses of juice and I love the slightly sour taste of it, because the juice is not too sweet. I like mixed yellow fruits better than plain orange juice, and no matter how well I shake it, the best is always at the bottom of the carton, because that's where all the pulp is. I could write a treatise on good fruit juice probably.

Jesker is lying right beside me and has tried to get me to get dressed because he wanted me to take him out. He got me to follow him to where me clothes and boots were and then looked at me with sorrowful eyes. Of course, I'm not going for a walk now, he just had to go out back, but he was not quite happy about that. He complained a little bit and then grudgingly went to sleep, but I'm sure I haven't heard the end of it yet. I'm sure in his little brain he's just waiting for the next moment to come along when he can try and lure me outside again. He never forgets.

It snowed during the night and there are a few centimeters. I'm wishing for it to be gone, although it looks quite pretty, but I'm not fooled by the beauty of it and remember very well how slippery it can get if it stays and freezes. It's supposed to get up to 2C today, so it should melt, but there aren't any guarantees. It never did get that warm yesterday either and it snowed in the afternoon, although it was supposed to be 2C then also. In the north of the country there is more snow, so I'm glad I live down here in the south. Those few hundred kilometers do make a difference and we are less influenced by the sea, which makes it a bit dryer and warmer here. It's a good place to live, as climates go, but that's not the only reason. I live in the Dutch mountains.

I finished Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver and have now started her novel Pigs in Heaven. I've read this novel before and also the one that came before it, but it's been long enough since I read it that it will be like reading a new book again. As I read it, I remember bits and pieces of it, but it's still fun. Animal Dreams was an interesting book. There was a lot of sadness in it, but very realistically in that tragedy happens to people in the most bizarre ways and that we have to learn to live with that. There was also joy in the book underneath it all and it does have a satisfactory ending. I don't say a happy ending, because no such thing exists. Well, endings don't exist, do they? One person or the other dies, but the rest of the people go on living. They have to, that's their fate. To carry on the story endlessly until someone can come along and write it down again.

Jesker has given up on me and has gone to sleep on his pillow in the bedroom. I'm surprised he didn't try to change my mind again. I suppose he realized his timing was off.

I just looked outside and see that there are already footsteps in the snow and tire tracks. I'm surprised, it being Sunday. I wouldn't expect anyone to be up that early, or to be out that late. Of course, the cafés don't close until 3 am, so it could be people coming home from a night out. I think some places stay open even longer, but I think that's in the summertime when you can get home when the sun is up. I'm not a party animal, so I don't know much about these things. I haven't stayed up to party all night since I was 26 and it was New year's Eve and I saw the morning coming. That's a long time ago.

It's very nice here with my bathrobe on. I have no desire yet to go back to bed. I am wide awake. I think I will stay up and visit some blogs that I've been neglecting, because I visit them, but very often lately I haven't been leaving any comments and I feel like that's just a bit antisocial. It's like peeking in, but not letting anyone know you've been there. Of course, lately I haven't felt like I know what to say, I've been so empty of words that are cheerful and it's been an effort to say anything at all.

Have a good Sunday you all. I hope your snow melts if you have any.

Ciao!

In the middle of the afternoon.

I've done my share of sleeping for the day, I think. I slept in my bed early this morning and I slept on the sofa after that. It was very pleasant, but there does come a time when you have to rouse yourself and get dressed and join the living. The dog had been waiting ever so patiently for me to take him for a walk and when I did, he dutifully did all his big business all at once. He's a very economic dog and knows when to take advantage of the opportunity.

There was still a little bit of snow out, but the sun is shining and there is no rain at all like they had promised, nor does it seem like there is going to be any. I think they just make it up as they go along. They predict the weather that is already here. The snow is dry and powdery and no good for making snowballs, but like I said, most of it has melted already.

I'm sitting at my computer desk that needs to be dusted, which means I'll have to take off all the things that crowd it and get a cloth to wipe it with. That's my least favorite and most frustrating job, because it reminds me that I have too many things here that should have another place. It would be good if I spent some time finding a proper place for them. I need to put things away in such a way that they are out of sight, but not forgotten and lost. When I have more energy I will do that. I have a cabinet that I can organize to put all those things in and it's only two steps away from the computer. When I'm at my best, I'm very good at organizing myself and I can demolish an old system and reconstruct a new one easily.

I'm slowly replacing my older, worn out books on the bookcase with the newer books I have been receiving and putting the older books on my bookcase in the bedroom. They are too good to toss out and I may want to read them again, or so I tell myself. I may end up putting them out with the recyclable paper. I have to give it some thought. I don't think I've ever tossed out a book, unless it was falling apart and these are not nearly to that point yet. They just aren't as pretty anymore as the newer books with their clean covers and colorful bindings. So far, I've resisted buying any books this month, although I have expanded my wish list and it has been tempting to order new ones, showing you again what an addiction the acquirement of books really is.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get all the laundry done. I'm washing a lot of sheets and pillow cases and bath towels. I had gotten behind in washing those and they had really piled up. I'm hoping to have a whole set of bed linen dry by this evening so I can change the bed. I have a detergent that smells very nice and it will be good to go to sleep in a bed that smells good. Actually, I would like to have clean sheets on the bed every night, but that's too much work and I couldn't handle the laundry and get it dry on time. That would be the nice thing about having a tumble dryer. I do miss little conveniences like that in the wintertime when I can't hang up the laundry outside to dry. There's nothing like the fresh smell of laundry that's been dried outside. Soon enough it will be time for that again, said the optimist.

Well, I just about made it through another day. The afternoon is coming to an end and it has started to snow again. I'm not thrilled. I thought we were done with that. I will just ignore it and hope it melts as quickly as it falls down. It's time to get out my gray cardigan again. I must be warm and toasty, although I have no problem with that when I lay in bed at night.

Jesker wants my attention, so I have to be a good owner and see what he wants.

Ciao,
Nora

Where's my energy?

I just scrubbed the kitchen counter with scouring powder and dusted two tables and I'm completely worn out. I was planning on doing more jobs, but I don't have the energy. I have to sit down for a while until I move onto the next job and it can't be a big one, because I won't last that long. I'll water the plants next and hang up the laundry. I'm really tired, though. It feels as if I've done a lot of work. I'm not that old, for God's sake. I feel like I'm coming down with something and my body won't co-operate. I'll have to do my work in little chunks and stop when I can't do anymore. I'm not even going to try to vacuum, I'll sweep instead. It's such a bother to drag that vacuum cleaner around and sweeping doesn't require as much energy. So I tell myself.

I was supposed to have gone grocery shopping with my sister today, but when she called I was still in my pajamas and not yet in a frame of mind to go out, so I will go on Wednesday, as I think I can make my supplies last that long. I just have to be careful that I make the milk last, as I don't like the artificial creamer in my coffee. It has a...well, artificial taste. Still, it's better than drinking my coffee black.

I've just watered the plants and it was high time too, as some of them were quite dry and I hope they forgive me and don't decide to die on me. I can't hang up the laundry yet, because the washing machine isn't done. It fakes me out, because I think I don't hear anything, but it's just sitting there between movements, humming quietly to itself. I don't think I'm going to be able to hang the laundry outside. It would take forever to get dry. As it is, I have three loads to do and only one rack to dry them on and one load fits on the rack exactly and takes at least a day to dry. I'll be doing laundry for the rest of the week, unless I can figure out a way to get it dry quicker. I could turn up the heat higher, but that's a wasteful way to get the laundry dry. It's too bad that I don't have a wood stove to heat the apartment with. I could get it real warm in here.

My dog thinks he's all done going out for the day and has settled down on his blanket like he is never going to move again. He wanted to go out at 4 o'clock, so I took him for a walk, but I think he's confused and thinks that's it. He's going to have to go out one more time, though. I'll have to convince him to go go with me later in the evening. He's down to eating 400 grams of food and that is enough for him. I have been buying him the Bonzo meals and he likes them very much. He never dawdles when he eats those. Now that the snow and ice are gone, we will be able to take longer walks and I think he will enjoy that. As long as it's not too cold I don't mind being out there.

I have to go to the hairdresser, because I can't do a thing with my hair. All it wants to do is stick up in the wrong direction and it is too long to get it to lay down flat in the right way. It is a pain in the neck and needs to be cut short. I don't realize how quickly my hair grows and how long it has been since I've been to have it cut and before I know it, it has lost its shape and it doesn't look like anything at all. I will call tomorrow and make an appointment. I also have to call the doctor to make an appointment about those nodules on my throat. I think I had better not postpone that anymore now, because I has been several months and they are getting bigger. I also have to take Toby to the vet, because he's sneezing again and he needs a shot of antibiotics. Oh, ho hum. Just what I like to do. Going out...

I have hung up the laundry and put the next load in the machine. I have also put the dishes in the sink to soak and will wash those as soon as I am done writing this. There weren't really that many, especially not after I washed and dried the porridge bowls separately. There are mostly coffee cups and juice glasses and teaspoons. I need to wash the dog's bowls separately, but they need a good soak and a scrub.

Ah, the dog's come back to life. Maybe he will want to go out now. He's doing an awful lot of stretching and yawning. First I need to do the dishes and then I'll take him out. A little bit of fresh air will do me good as well, especially now that I don't have to worry about breaking my neck. I realize now that I really felt like a prisoner with all that snow and ice. It's like being let out of jail now that it's all gone. I sure didn't appreciate that. I hope no more comes our way. I wouldn't like it one bit. I would curse it and move to a warmer climate.

Have a nice evening.

Ciao,
Nora

Staying up late...

Like I've said before, I have to take advantage of the times in my circadian cycle when I feel best and perform then, and be awake and enjoy myself and and not look at the clock and do what it tells me to do or what I think I ought to do. There is no ought to, there is only this minute and this moment on which I feel good and when I don't want to do anything else than what I am doing. Namely sit here by the light of my desk lamp with a cup of coffee and a cigarette and write my thoughts down, whatever they amount to. Soon enough I will get tired and find my way to the bedroom. There's no amount of built in guilt that's going to make me feel different about that. I hear a chorus of warning voices, but it's just an echo that has been repeated many times over and I'm becoming deaf to it. I'm listening to my own voice now, stubborn and foolhardy as I am. I've got my own survival mode and it's working. I know more happy moments now than I do in any other way. I'm glad I've got it all figured out. There's a method to my madness.

Quite coincidentally two separate people asked me about the same author. Both Angie and Connie Rose asked me if I had read anything by Diana Gabaldon. I had never heard of this author and looked her up on Bol.com and found out that she had written a whole series of books of which the 'Outlander' is the first one. It seems to be worth a try, especially when two people recommend her on the same day. Babaloo also recommended a book by John Irving called 'Until I Find You.' She says it's another one of John Irving's really good books, so I added that one to my list of books to get. So you see how this discussion about books leads to recommendations of other books and that is exactly what I want to happen. Please feel free to recommend a book if you've read a good one. I'll be happy to look it up if I haven't read it yet, or mention it here if I have. This can slowly turn into a book blog if I read fast enough. or if you people come with enough recommendations.

I cleaned up the apartment the French way, as we say here in the Netherlands. That means I got rid of everything that could be put in the trash and slightly organized things that were unorganized. It doesn't mean that I did any real cleaning. I closed my eyes to that and I wished for a better day to come along when I'll be struck by the cleaning genie. I know it will happen, it's just a matter of having patience. The chaos is under control and I know exactly what I have to do to set it right.

Except for an individual patch here and there, the snow and ice are all gone. I can see the streets and the sidewalks again and not be in danger of breaking my neck when I walk the dog. It is such a relief. The temperatures are good right now and it's not going to be freezing anymore, so hurray! It's darn near balmy now when I go outside. I don't have to wear my snow hat or my gloves and it feels like it is going to be springtime. What an optimist I am. It's still January, anything can happen. It's so nice to be liberated from that snow and ice. It was a real bother. It suddenly disappeared very quickly. I hope that's all the winter we're going to have for this season, but we're not out of the woods yet. We still have to get through February and March and they are unpredictable months.

I did make it through the bad weather without falling down once, though, although all the while I had visions of myself with a broken leg in a cast and no way to walk the dog and all the problems that would bring. I also worried about the dog slipping and hurting himself because of his osteoarthritis, but he did real well. He was pretty steady on his feet. He slipped a little now and then, but he didn't hurt himself. That's the advantage of walking on all fours.

I think I need to go to bed now. It's late enough and I am going to be up soon enough again. It will be nice to get my pajamas on and to get something to eat and have a glass of juice to drink. The dog is already sleeping on his pillow in the bedroom. I think that's where the cats are too.

Have a good night. Sleep tight. It is 5C here.

Ciao,
Nora