Good afternoon at the 3th off February, 2024.

 Good afternoon everyone, 

Today is cold and cloudy, and it's windy. It's an average, dreary Saturday in the Netherlands. 

*

I would like to share something with you, but it tends that everytime I did so in the past, something ruined it and it got somehow destroyed. So I will wait with it untill it's gone. But I think it might be worthit the wait for those who appreciate. I think I'm going to make that a blog about 'Things I still enjoy despite the crisis.' 

Despite we live in a crisis with great poverty and income diffrences, even for the poorer scale there are still average, old fashioned things we can enjoy. We have to enlight our hearts with it so we stand stronger these days. We can't slob it, despite it might be hard for some. 

It doesn't contain a trip to the Bahama's, or Disneyland, and you also don't need to sell your organs for it to enjoy it. It's simple, basic and very time-resistant. I enjoy things a vintage home maker would have enjoyed in her days. Just those every day pleasures that make common life good. I think even if you have no degree in education but still a good common sense, it's aproachable. If you're not greedy or needy and simply get why it's a good thing to have the things I still enjoy. Maybe I should make it this weblog. I explained, after all, why I did so. 

First off all, I take good pride in a clean home. My home is almost tidy these days since I wish to give cleaning it a little more than I used to. Due to these times. It feels more important these days to be clean. Simply out off pride. I think maybe if it's over, I will slunge it again, probably. And my toilet isn't so happy with me. A clean toilet is always important, also if the war and the crisis are over. Just like a clean, mopped floor and a clean kitchen. But so far, it's going well and I'm proud off it. 

Second, A strange feeling off nationalism and nostalgia. Usually it's declared right-winged to enjoy that, or take pride in it. But the old-fashioned, antique homes off Zaandijk, it's windmills, it's ancient streets and buildings, somehow make me feel proud to live in this country and to be on 'the good side.' As far as that excists. It's also due to the crisis I have an eye for that. Otherwise I felt it was depressing old junk. It's just that it's got it's pride back simply because it's heritage, and it stands for something. And No, it doesn't just belong to the right wing in politics in my opinion. 

Siding my new found sense off soft nationalism, I purchased tulips to decorate the salon table. 

In an antique vase. I feel heritage and Dutch culture is off even more importance  for us than it already was before the war broke out. Just like classic Dutch vegetable soup. It warms hearts in poor old Zaandijk, also among the poor people. And we need that feeling. Even I seem to cling to it and need it. The cookie jar is Danish, it's a souvenir gift my brother purchased from his trip to Denmark, but it's on my table since it's still functional, though it's now filled with 'knappertjes.' biscuits. The cookie jar has the little mermaid on it, but it's the tulips that make the head subject to this picture. I don't know if my love for the antique will survive after the crisis. Maybe my feelings won't cling to it so much. 

Third, tulips and flowers on my table (See picture.) I love old fashioned flowers on my table and there's a sense off pride in it, but simply to have decorated it with fresh, pretty flowers is something I love. It's a good thing. What isn't good, is that they sell it 9 flowers a bush nowadays, where before the crisis it was 10. 9 flowers for the same price as 10 before shrinkflation, where all packages started to contain less but got sold for the same amount. I don't know if that's also a thing in your country, wherever you live. But in the Netherlands, it's a thing. But still, tulips and flowers. And tulips are national Dutch pride. 

I think I make it end here. There are things I still enjoy outside this, but these big changes (Cleaning the surrounding well and soft nationalism) are the biggest diffrences compared to my old life. I think it's something to think off. Maybe it will stay this way after the war, maybe I will fall back to the old. What am I doing? I wondered yesterday. To wage war? Am I waging along? Probably. It's a soft, feminin way to fight which doesn't require much. But still, a way. Am I doing it well? Is it too much? Is it something bad after all? I have no idea. But here I am, doing it. 

Allright, that's about it for now-

thank you for reading.