Good morning at the 28th off October 2024, 2.

 Good morning everyone, 

Today is Autumn weather in the Netherlands. 

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I have a small crisis tip, which could help you save a little money: 

It's simply to serve chips in bowls, and not eat the entire pack all at once when you feel like eating them, but just a reasonable amount at a time, and one glass off soft drink. I still got left over from this weekend. Juices, soft drinks, everything- just a small amount in a glass, not the entire package. That makes drinking and snacking a little more affordable. 

And this weekend was for appeltaart. A fellow client gave me the baking mix, and a neighbour donated eggs from her own chickens. She actually donated a whole egg box, so I'm fine with eggs for a while. 

I got free, fee range eggs from her. And the appeltaart was delicious, I used cookie spices and honey instead off sugar for it's filling. To peel and cut apples was a nice set off to this otherwise nasty weekend, (1,5 kilos!) where I had headaches and cramps all the time. It's been pretty hard to deal with. I had to skip morning coffee at de Boed on Saturday. 

I think crisis is really to step back to the basics. Not purchasing expensive brands, but rather purchase good quality stuff off what we actually need. fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, eggs, you name it. It's not for childish outings anymore. Simply because we don't have money for it. And it takes a certain kind off weariness and maturity to handle grocery shopping well. It's not hard to deal with for me personally, since I barely did that. I barely purchased candy and soft drinks. And I already looked for the B-brands and house brands. It's how I've been raised. This crisis is not hard to deal with for me. Maybe the world should be less spoiled. Less spoiled, a little more hard working when they want their luxurious foods. (Preparing them yourself, probably) And be content with what you do have. Don't crave more and more all the time. But now it's not just a matter off opinion, it's a way to survive and deal with everything. We simply don't have it anymore. But is that really an issue? Simply to step back to the basics, and do with less big luxurious brands. I think mankind can doubt themselves if it's really a problem. Think in terms off basics, and don't let yourselves being intimidated by it. We definetely have to be less spoiled. 

Life is still possible, just a little less splendorous. Has it ever been an issue? Not for me. It's always been a matter off how things where in life. You can get a toilet or a floor just as clean with a house brand washing liquid instead off a big name. And it costs waaay less. But that's what I mean with basics. Look at what we do need, not at what we crave. Don't be stupid with it. And it's getting more valuable if we actually do clean the toilet, mop the floor, and keep our kitchen tidy. We don't need it expensive, we need it done. 

Last tip: Learn to cook. Prepare meals and bake yourself. It saves so much on costs you won't believe it untill you do it. And it's even better if you can cook deliciously, but first off all, learn to prepare meals and bake some basics. And become a good cook. It's essential in this crisis. 

Allright, that's about it for now- 

Thank you for reading. 

   

Good morning at the 28th off October, 2024.

 Good morning everyone, 

Today is a rainy and dreary day in Fall in the Netherlands, leaves are colouring and falling on the pavement. It's Autumn Ambiance at it's finest.

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I personally think the Ukraine-Russia war will still be there around 2026. And it won't have to do with planetairy transits or the upcoming American elections wheter it ends then and there. Planets can do magic and they mean a lot, but it won't have to do with this filthy war. And the transits won't make it to an end. It's kinds tricky business to predict that. 

In short term we have Pluto transferring from Capricorn to Aquarius,  Uranus transferring from Taurus to Gemini, and Neptune from Pisces to Aries. Followed by Saturn from Pisces to Aries. All off that won't have an influence on the war's end. Though some might believe miracles will happen with it. Unfortunately I think the war will still be there in two to four years. It's a whole lot. And we have to grid our teeth when it comes to this one. It's an obscene mark in history we have to live through. I can't be any more positive about it than that. In two years we will still be in this shiny bright business, so to say. Don't believe in miracles when Harris will get elected. That's my warning to you. I don't know if she will, but it's a possibility in this rathouse called world, that Trump will be elected for the second time. 

Any prissy who wants it softer, won't come to their satisfaction with it. Thank me later on. I can't go more soft during a war era with this. That would be dangerous, and people might get unrealistic expectations. Shove your big plans on the very long term. It may not sound nice, but I can't go soft on you with this. That'd be irresponsible. 

Allright, that's about it for now- 

Thank you for reading.  

Good morning at the 23th off October, 2024.

 Good morning everyone, 

It's still too dark outside to see the weather. 

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I'm writing this weblog while my nails dry. I painted them 'but first Toffee.' by Essence. 

I'm taking over a lot off coffee shifts this week. My colleague is on a vacation, and I took more than half her shifts. It's quite a lot, given that usually I only work one shift a week, officially. But last month I took over from a sick colleague, which made two a week, and this week it's four a week. It's quite a lot. I can't work, officially, and these coffee shifts are tiring and I'm not that stable as a person, but my nice side wanted to cover up for my colleagues. So I helped them out for now. The lady who got sick returned, so I got free Fridays again. (She broke her wrist. I took over for a bit longer than a month for her.) I decided I purchased a cute hat from all that working. I purchased a straw hat on the internet. I think it's a cute and funny item for Summer. I don't earn that much. It's a bit more than 10 euro's a month for serving coffee for my regulair shifts. All the take overs are still counted- and I already purchased that hat. Maybe I should think like a common work person: You can only buy when you earned it. Not when you see it. I paid it from my payment account, but I believe I earned it back. The hat was on a discount. Including shipping costs, it's what I granted myself for these shifts. It's just a volunteer fee off 1 euro an hour. It's the participation and the working that counts. It's just that it almost feels like a regulair job with all those take over shifts. But it's allright for this moment. It's just that I can't work that on a steady base. So it's just a simple volunteer job for me. 

I think Ukraine is going to lose the war with Russia, and it will leave the West with loss off face. As far as this looks, it's as if Russia is going to win. But then I'm using my common sense and logic. They're too strong for Ukraine to beat. As far as I can see. It's the logic off the day to simply live by if the war develops itself like this. I think we won't come to their rescue. It's tragic, but it's what I feel will happen. 

Allright, that's about it for now- 

Thank you for reading. 

   

Good morning at the 20th off October, 2024.

 Good morning everyone, 

It's still too dark outside to see the weather for today. 

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There's a picture I don't like to keep from you, it's the pavement in a park nearby my mom's home, covered in Fall leaves, which gives such an Autumnal feeling to the picture. 

I think this really makes a nice image. I made quite a long walk yesterday, about 10 kilometres and 1500 calories off, according to my step counter app on my smartphone. It felt good, doing such a long walk. There was a time and place when I still lived here, Around 18, when I used to do them every Sunday with our old dog. I was a bit out off my mind sometimes when walking the dunes, as how they're known internationally, but I enjoyed forest walks. People might have thought I was a bit old fashioned, since it's seen as something for old people to go around walking the dunes and loving nature and the surrounding every weekend. It was at the height off my Fantasy interest, where I loved imagining all kinds off things in the local forest. The Castricum dunes lend themselves perfectly well for that. Usually old people do forest walks on Sunday morning, but I'm somewhat off a weird witch, loving being out there aswell. It's a nice forest. 

I never told anyone, except my family. They would not have understood. But I miss it. The long forest walks on Sunday morning. Even without the imagining. I love the forest. And our old dog was certainly my friend. It's just that during my hard period, I stopped them. After to have to live somewhere else, it stopped entirely. Walking the forest was good for my condition. And I believe I slimmed down after starting that. If smartphones where more common back then, I would have pictured more off it. But I was doing hard, so it ended. 

Maybe when I'm here, I can re- start them. forest walks are incredibly good for our health. Japanese call it Shinrin Yoku. Forest bathing. It's good for mind, body and spirit to walk forests. Franscesc Miralles and Héctor Garcia have a great work about it: Shinrin Yoku 

 

  

I don't know if this is also in English, but it describes the scientific and psychological side to an ancient Japanese wisdom. And it's feelgood mental health. It's good to be out in the forest at least once a month according to this. Maybe I should visit my family once a month, and pick up on that again. It would be so good for me. It's something to think about for me. 

Allright, that's about it for now- 

Thank you for reading. 

 

 

    

Good morning at the 19th off October, 2024.

 Good morning everyone, 

It's still too dark outside at almost 07.00 AM to see the weather. 

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Yesterday evening I washed my hair and body with the brand Naif, which my mom won at the lottery for a price, I just think it dries the skin and the hair too much. It claims to be 'good for the planet.' And harm free for skin, but my sensitive skin doesn't take these products well. It makes my skin tight and makes my hair lose it's bouncyness. You can also wash your face with it, but I'm glad I had my face oil with me, so it kept my skin from being bouncy. These sets go for 50 euro a set in stores, so it's important for the audience to know how they feel on their skin. They claim the world, but they aren't that good for our human skin. I got a sensitive skin, and it's not feeling well on mine. So I'm not a fan. 😒 I'm a fan off every brand that claims to be good for the planet, and has no harmfull ingredients in their products, I'm into trying them. But this stuff just doesn't work on me. 😒

I went to my family for a visit. My brother has turned 29, and I got him a cute present. A tortoise stuffed animal. It was a large, funny one and he liked it. 

We're still big kids in our hearts when it comes to presents. He got a pastry for me yesterday. A nice Speculaas vlaai. With a cup off coffee 

It just screamed 'picture!' at me. 😏 

I just have been making tea, and it's infusing at this moment. Maybe I'm in it for a walk outside today, simply to stretch my leggs. And the surrounding where my family lives is beautifull. Yesterday has been quite nice. 

I can't set myself to more than this, but maybe because it's this early in the morning 😅 

Allrigh, that's about it for now - 

Thank you for reading. 

  

Good evening at the 17th off October, 2024.

 Good evening everyone, 

Today was a cloudy day in Autumn. 

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I'm typing this while my nails are drying. I have a weekend ahead off family visiting. I don't know if it's this time off era, but I feel like such a craving for green. Just like someone can feel like eating nasi, or a certain potato chips, I feel like wearing nice green tones. So my nails are 'inner Peas' by Essence. Green as my current camouflage colour? Almost. But it's nice. It's the colour off the heart-chakra, the planet Uranus in Taurus and it feels safe and comfortable wearing it. It's not a bad colour, and the neighbours don't mind. 

Uranus in Taurus requires conventional, traditional ways to get what you need out off a situation. And nice greens compliment that. 

I got some more pictures from my phone from Zaandijk, my home town. I hope you don't mind me posting them. 

 

Last one is a really nice overvieuw on the river Zaan, if you walk up to the rowing club, and look back, you get a really nice overvieuw over the windmills and de Zaanse Schans. I had the luck the weather was working with when I photographed. It looks romantic that way. Almost from a children's book or a movie, or a fairytale. Almost like Wind in the Willows. Upcoming Monday, I will photograph at de Zaanse Schans. I might take several pictures spread over several days, if one day on it's own is too much. Having to walk to get more sleep ain't so bad, after all. These subjects are timeless, they can't be taken away. De Zaan, the Windmills, the old fashioned culture off the Netherlands. It's in our heart. And it should remain. And it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, they are free for the eye to see. 

This morning was for coffee service. I have been serving coffee at de Boed as my volunteer job. I make good coffee, compliments all over again. It's good we still have it. 

Allright, that's about it for now- 

Thank you for reading.   

Good evening at the 16th off October, 2024.

 Good evening everyone, 

Today was a nice day, it wasn't too sunny, but it was warm enough to have a sit outside near the coi-carp pond. 

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I decided to do more walks, simply because mental health adviced them to sleep better. They somewhat work. I feel more tired and I sleep longer when I walk a lot. I made some stunning, 'proud to be Dutch.' pictures, I like to show them on here: 

I made them in the touristic area off this town. All stunning pictures off monuments and national heritage. Made spread over several days off walking around. The last ones are from the Dutch cocoa factory, and the street where it's situated. I have the luck with the weather and the sunshine these days. It works out so pretty. It's almost unbelievable. Alongside the angle off my phone, the pictures off Zaandijk turn out really sweet. And walking around this place simply works. For my mind and body to sleep better. Otherwise I just sat on that chair, having coffee all day. And walking works against a troubled mind. It works to sort out stuff in my head. This weblog could help Dutch to feel proud off their country. I hope it somewhat makes them. 

Now, what do Dutch eat for dessert? 😉

A bowl off syrup waffle vla! Offcourse. I granted myself that, usually I only allow myself cheap vanilla, but I wanted something diffrent for once in a while. So syrup waffle it is. 

It's important to feel proud off our country these days. It's war, times are difficult, and people do hard. I feel we should feel connected to our country. I think it's not legid for the extreme right wing in politics to have claimed it. It's something bigger. I  myself also feel connected to the antiques. Simply indulging in national pride this entire crisis long. I don't know if it's right or wrong, but Dutch pride is not a bad thing. Maybe it fades after all off this is done. Who knows? It's just that there's a proud farm lady in my head, een trotse boerin, Proud off her heritage. Like a lot off people here. I wish they would not mess with this country. 

Allright, that's about it for now- 

Thank you for reading.