In loving memory of Wil Driessen
Best dad ever ❤
July 13th, 1932 – December 2nd, 2023
—
My entry in Debbie’s Six Word Saturday
His smile lit up my world
Category: Personal
Back to January
How I hate to take down the Christmas decorations. Each January it is tough to say goodbye to the green, silver, and red.
My sweet reindeer, resting comfortably once more in their basket in the attic. The tree lights are dimmed and my little evergreen is outside in the cold.
Two weeks of warmth, joy, and freedom rushed by. Monday it is back to normal. Back to work.
But I’ll keep on lighting candles throughout the year! And I put my two friends on the left on top of my bookcase. They’re inseparable! And too cute to be stuffed away.
Welcome to January. 😀
Laugh and Embrace
click!
Dear readers and friends, thank you all so much for the good things that you have shared with me and with each other over the past year. Inspiring writings and photographs, the beautiful and often touching words and images. They make this sweet world better.
Happy holidays and all the best for 2019. Stay healthy and live well. Take care of each other. Laugh and embrace.
Big kiss,
Marion
❤
Life’s a Bitch
Really, Life?
You’re kidding, right?
Is this some kind of sick, screwed up joke?
Why can’t you pick on somebody else? Someone mean, someone evil. Why do you threaten a man who has worked hard all of his life, from dawn ‘till dusk? Someone who is finally done serving the community and crossed the threshold into retirement only a month ago? A man who has been nothing but gentle, kind, helpful and dedicated. A man who is an expert in his field of work. An inspiration and mentor to me.
At least end the terrible pain and grant him some happiness with his loved ones. His wife, children and grandchildren. That’s the least you can do.
Please, Life, Goddess, God, Energy –by whatever name you wish to present yourself– please show mercy and perform a miracle.
Life, I do love you. But today, today I hate you.
Be kind in 2017
English Dreams
My V-man and I have visited the UK in October. We stayed at the very edge of New Forest National Park, where thousands of cattle roam free.
An impression:
If you want to see more photos and read my posts, choose:
You will find a translation button at the bottom of the menu on the right side. It won’t be perfect English, since Google will simply translate the words, but it will give you an idea.
Lost
Last week I did it again. I got lost on my way from work. The commute is only ten minutes when there’s no traffic. But that night, it was horrible. Cars slowed down in front of me, then came to a stop. And stayed put entirely. I only had a couple of seconds before I would be cornered -the lane was already flooding with other drivers who tried to find a way out- and forced onto the highway, so I decided to turn to the right. The car jumped into gear and took me into the shortcut.
Through that manoeuvre I found myself in a road I didn’t expect to find myself in. But hey, navigating is easy, right? I approximately knew the direction I had to take. Heading towards a roundabout, I decided to continue my straight course. At the next turn I took a left. My eyes were roaming the streets for landmarks so I could orientate myself, but to no avail. Right again, then left. It took me deeper and deeper into the residential area. Narrow streets, one-way streets. Little children on little bikes, swarming the sidewalks and road. Parents parking their cars and blocking my way. After ten minutes of following my built-in radar and getting nowhere, I surrendered and activated my TomTom.
While I waited for the satellites to connect with my little electronic guide, my thoughts returned to last week. Getting lost in the streets of a town is nothing. Getting lost in an English pub, now that is a new accomplishment of my nonexistent sense of direction. My V-man and I were having a very nice lunch. And, being in the United Kingdom, we simply had to have a very nice cuppa or two. Before resuming our trip, I decided to get rid of superfluous tea and visit the restroom. I had no trouble whatsoever finding it. To find my way back was the real challenge. When I came out, the place suddenly looked unfamiliar. Where was the lunchroom? Where was the entrance? Bewildered I stopped and stared, shaking my head in utter amazement. And resignation. A kind old gentleman asked “What’s the matter, love?” and I simply said “I’m lost. In a pub. Can you believe it?” For I could not.
In my defense though (the only defense I can artfully think of): the things one sees on the way in are not the same things one sees on the way back. I kid you not! But I rest this lost case. I’m missing some strange and mysterious ability and I will never get it. Lost. In a pub. I have hit rock bottom.
PS. I managed to find V-man that afternoon, and arrived at home safely. 😉
The Mearas are real!
That’s right. And if these legendary wild horses exist, then Middle Earth is real too! You only have to step through the megalithic portal of Saint-Claire and you can see, even touch them. I’m sorry, I have been watching Outlander lately.
After seeing Stonehenge in the UK twice, after walking amidst the menhirs of Brittany, I now longed to see the dolmen of Normandy. We found a detailed map and drove from our holiday address to La Chapelle-Biche, entering the Forêt de Saint-Clair from the north over the D810. We headed down towards Saint-Clair-de-Halouze and parked our car at the edge of the forest.
click on the photos for details
There was no sign of the dolmen, nor directions, so we just entered the forest over a small path, made by the tracks of a John Deere wood tractor. It became clear that there were no standing stones, but at the end of the path was a meadow. And two beautiful faces watched us from under the trees. Mearas!
V-man turned around and headed back the way we came –horses are not made of stone after all, and that’s what we were here for, right?– but I grabbed my camera and started shooting, while softly calling to the gentle giants. Soon their curiosity won over their fear, and step by step they came closer. I was enchanted and goose bumps rose on my arms, totally mesmerized as I was by their beauty.
Though their manes were entangled and the mare had a big scar on her shoulder, their gentleness was amazing. I rubbed their cheeks, freeing them momentarily of the flies, and whispered how beautiful they were. I just couldn’t walk away. And all the while, V-man waited patiently further down the road.
❤ even now – weeks later – my eyes get blurry when I look at these photos ❤
We continued our path, in search of the megaliths. Well, ‘path’; it was more a faint track through the grass and bushes, over dead pieces of wood and mud. Small lizards, flies and bees were keeping us company.
After making photos of every larger stone I saw (we had to come home with something after all), finally a wider trail lead us towards the dolmen, the huge boulders. No sign, only the forest and the stones, the sun filtering through the foliage.
It is still not clear why and how the dolmen were created, but that only adds to the mysticism that is tangible in these places. I wandered around the stones, lay my hands on the cold surface and was quiet.
As icing on the cake, there was a tower behind the huge dolmen construction. It was as if I heard Saruman calling down.
And around the corner, hidden in the green…
… a mysterious wide stone with text on it.
Can you read what this stone says?
A constant buzzing let us know that somewhere nearby a colony of bees was foraging. A bumblebee even thought my shirt contained real flowers and took a taste with his long tongue – or whatever it was that came from his mouth. Before I could zoom in with my camera, it flew away. And so did we, but in our car. I was tempted to go back to the Mearas, but that would have been too much to ask of V-man’s patience.
Such a lovely way to spend a sun-and-cloudy morning in Normandy. Or was it Middle Earth?
Cozy Corner
It arrived. IT ARRIVED! *dances around* My signed print of Cozy Night by Kim Parkhurst arrived by postman today. And he even rang twice, because I was at work. Fortunately I have a very nice postman. Plus very nice neighbors! 🙂
I saw this print on Pinterest two weeks ago, and exclaimed: ‘Hey, that’s Boris!’, followed a second later by ‘And Smokey!’, and after a moment I added in an even higher voice ‘Oooow and that’s me! Except for the gorgeous hair of course’. 😉 It was called Cozy Night. I grinned and closed Pinterest.
After five minutes I was still smiling about the picture and I couldn’t put it out of my head. After ten minutes I got very restless and opened the app again on my tablet, hoping to find it again. And I did. Five minutes later -click click click- I found myself on Etsy. And within another few minutes, I had bought myself a signed print. Lalalaaaaa.
Today a small note told me that there was something waiting for me next door. Could it be…? I rushed over and rang the bell. A white envelope with a smiling cat and a Dutch text found its way into my hands. The sender was from the United States. Oh yes baby, come to mama!
I’ll let the photos do their own talking:
Do you like my cozy corner?
I do! ❤
Figments of a DuTchess 