dinsdag 15 november 2016

november



*
*
one is happy
as a result
of one's own efforts ,
once one knows
the neccessary ingredients
of 
happyness

simple tastes 
a certain degree of courage
self-denial to a point
love of work
and above all
a clear conscience

happiness
is no vague dream 
of that I now am certain .

George Sand

*
November 2 was my birthday
and I turned 

66

so I am now driving my very own
ROUTE 66.
I cannot help it but it feels very MERRY .
in dutch the word is 
VROLIJK .

For many many years I have had the pleasure
of looking forward to my birthdays
as a mother ( with my children)
and as a teacher ( at school )
Both bringing so much more to having a birthday.
I do love the time towards the day .
The little secrets 
the rejoicing 

and at THE DAY 
I love the surprises 
the things I did not expect .

Once when I was a kindergartenteacher
my birthday would be on a saterday 
no schoolday
the 2 class-mothers 
organised that all the parents and their children
send me real old-fashioned MAIL.
so that saterday when the mailman came along 
he was really busy putting all the mail
in my mailbox
and I was beyond HAPPY .
Not only for the mail 
but the idea
all those people 
at home 
picking up /making
something specially for me 
taking time to put it in the mail 
WOW

so much has changed
I now live on my own
and I am retired

How was this birthday going to be ?
well very well 
because 
finally I have been able to do all the preparations
myself again
after many years with bad hips
and now TWO new ones 
and recovering
I did all myself and that was
BY FAR 
not as usual as it is for the most of you .
I enjoyed each and everything TO THE MAX 
I was happily washing the curtains and hanging them again
I polished the copper at my frontdoor
I even went to one of my favorite stores 
the HEMA 
to buy new decorations
and 
you know
with all the things I was SO AWARE 
of how greatful I was 
being able to do those things again 
by myself .
I decorated myself and I was HAPPY.



why I choose to put the colorful cup 
at te top ?
I wish I could have coffee/tea
with you too
because meeting in person
hear a voice
see expressions
is so much more than meeting overhere .

Happy november to all of you 

Francis



vrijdag 14 oktober 2016

Autumn treasures



*


*
Come little leaves
said the wind one day
come to the meadows
with me and play :
put on your dresses 
of red and gold ,
for summer is past
and the days grow cold.

George Cooper
*

and another  autumn arrived.
It's been a while since I was here.
It's never because I do not want 
to write a new blog .
Maybe it is because I like
it most to write about processes.
about development , progress ,
and that's not always simple.
For example .....  interior-design
 and gardening are
subjects I love to READ about .
but I am not an expert to write about it .

I do love to tell and share about 
how I search in  life .

This autumn I realise how I have grown 
I still think about it as my new life.
The life being retired from work 
( kindergartenteacher at a Waldorf school )
the life living on my own since 
my four children grew up and left the house

I can say now , afterwards 
It's been a lot !
maybe that's the reason why there was so much
that needed attention , afterwards .
and
the greatest  gift has been that 
there was TIME ..... lots of time .
In my previous blog I told about 
the things I have been doing 
to keep creative , busy .

While my hands were making colorful beauty
my head could organise a lot and
 was able to let go .....

Meanwhile I have also been very busy as
a grandmother .
My new and wonderful activity....
My one and only grandchild keeps me busy.
In being a grandmother all seems to come
together .
my experience as a mother and a teacher .
on a whole new level .
much more in harmony .
It shows me who I am and have always been .
I always thought I did what I did
because I had to .
I had to do my best , as a mother and as a teacher.
But I did not realize 
how much I did it my way .

That's really a bit sad ....afterwards 
but that's how it was .
So..... in this part I had a lot to make up for .
Going through my house
and ordening all I kept ......
was very therapeutic .

Another thing that happened and
is very important now is :
Blogging , Facebook Pinterest Instagram
New digital ways to connect .
It is a wonderful way to get to know yourself 
in new ways .

I am still very much a BOOKperson.
Love to buy a book that helps me ....
guides me to learn and understand more.

My latest gain has a very original 
layout and I found out 
I love that too
it's called 

OP DE TWEESPRONG van MOETEN en WILLEN
by Ella Luna
THE CROSSROADS of SHOULD and MUST .

hope you are all in good places 
wishing you well

Francis









zondag 5 juni 2016

Song of my heart


*

dip into
your own soul.
find your own truth.
what calls to your heart ?
what moves your spirit ?
make your life dance
to the song of your own essence .

*
I guess I am a process person
and I like to try to find words for the process
called ...... writing .

I spend a lot of time thinking and searching 
I spend a lot of time re-living the past 
For a good purpose ....
 To learn and understand 
and go on .
That is a good thing , for me .

I learn a lot , 
about myself 
about how I survived
about the choices I made 
(Had to make )
and I am doing this 
ordening my house, my things
re-reading my notebooks , letters , postcards 
and notes .

Just thinking is not my thing
I have to be creative with my hands   
and than there is ordening in my head .


A while ago I saw a heart-garland 
on pinterest.
and I started by making one myself .

Being creative and using
beautiful materials and bright colors
always makes me happy 


And than I made another-one and 
anotherone and I started to hang them 
in my house .
I used golden yarn and very little 
glass beads because 
I am fascinated by the moving and the glittering 
of the garlands .


making things always makes me happy
and I always get inspired and find new ideas.
other ways , other things to use ......
I am not a shopping-girl and 
I always look in my own house 
because there is more than enough here.
so 
when the little beads were used,
I used beads from bracelets and chains .



and I started to use little cuttings of 
the beautiful colorful felt pieces that were
leftovers after cutting the hearts .


and so I devaloped my own unique 
heartgarlands .


it's always about 
being busy , making things.......
that make ME happy .
You can imagen that there comes a point 
when there are too many garlands ......
and than I decided to send them by mail
to friends ......
just a little thank-you for being my friend .
they are easy to send by mail .

if , by the way , you are reading this,
and you like to have one 
let me know !

and than I got a present from a friend
who lives in France ......


glimmeringglitteringthings
I started to use in my garlands too !

and than my daugther ,
who always brings me the wonderful , colorful felt 
asked if she could try to sell the garlands
she likes to be creative too
in her own time
( She works at Waldorfschools
with dyslexic children )
once a year they have fairs at Waldorf schools
and she has her own stall !


she bought a larger size of
matchboxes when she was in France
(we do not have those in Holland )
and we now use the empty boxes for
the heartgarlands .
of course after giving the boxes a make-over .


and 
people realy buy them !
for themselves
or as presents .....


When my granddaugther
is with me 
she loves to help
and play 



With all my hearts
I wish you all well

*







maandag 18 april 2016

to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow - audrey hepburn



*

*
to plant 
a garden
is
to BELIEVE 
in tomorrow.

Audrey Hpburn .

*
in my previous blogpost
it was all about
my RED wall
in my bedroom.
and even more about how
it works for me.
to imagen something ......

I am pretty GOOD in thinking in 
IMPOSSIBILITIES .
(long story )
but my life has changed
for the best and now
my head has to work along too.

Making a moodboard
is something that can help !
Pinterest is a wonderful place
to collect images.

My garden has become a strange place
for me .
I seem to be un-able
to make it the garden I wish , again.

as I seem un-able
to find purpose in my life as it is now.

and than I decided
to start AGAIN 
making my garden a garden .

as I started wishing for 
the RED wall
not so long ago
and that worked out very well.

SPRING
is the perfect season 
and sunshine a good
companion .

and my  granddaugther
the best help ever .

not only do I hope for a garden
I  do hope to find more 
COMPLETION too.

everything comes to you
in the right moment
be patient
be grateful

*


donderdag 18 februari 2016

it's working ........THE PLAN



*

*
H A P P Y
Oh I am so over the moon HAPPY
My plan is working .
On Saterday my son and daugther-in-law
called me and asked 
if I would like to join them
They were on their way to the 
construction-market
to look for wallpaper
for Eva's room
and they knew I was looking for
R E D wallpaint 
so
would I like to go TOGETHER ?
yes yes yes
of course!
I found the color I would love to buy
from Histor called "cranberry"
They mix that in the store
very exciting ...... for me !
and 
it was a GIFT/PRESENT
from my son and daugther-in-law

S U R P R I S E 
we went home
to my home
 and they stayed for dinner
and my daugther came too
so we had the room filled with JOY .
wednesday-morning
my daugther send me a message
she wanted to come to me
and
PAINT the wall 
if that was allright with me 

Are you serious ?
of course I was allrigth 
she is a wonderful at decorating her own house
and in painting walls 
and she is young !

all I had to do is 
make tea and lunch 
and wait ...... downstairs ........
I heard music and singing 
and allready loved it 
my room would love it too !

I choose a shining wallpaint 

and than THE MOMENT was there
I was allowed to come and see

tears in my eyes SO BEAUTIFUL 
it was beyond my dreams 
I loved it ( still do )
And I love my daugther for his 
SURPRISE 

now the next step
the frames ..........



it's  not done
it's in progress

love my PLAN .............

zaterdag 30 januari 2016

happy red


*

*
it all started with a wish
my wish 
to have my wall in my bedroom
R E D 
inspired 
by the image above
*
to do something
really DO it 
by myself
from start to finish
for myself 
is what I am not good at ...
for sommeone else , no problem
for myself ..............

the plan 
it started with knowing
I have to  have a plan
with a beginning ....
 a middle and 
an end .

than I visited someone
who suffers from depressions
and I saw how her life was
and all the possibilities she has
but was  not able to use
and I realised
I had to take my own first step 
make my own plan
so
when I got home
I started by finding inspiring
images on my pinterest board
and the one above
is my color-inspiration

than
I saw this

someone 
offered these for sale
on facebook 
all in one sale 
and
I knew 
I had to have them
I immediately had an idea
how to use them
on my red wall 
 my project was born
when I reacted on facebook 
I could have them and
it turned out 
it was only 5 minutes from my house !

I never do something like this 
react on such a thing
and going to get them MYSELF 
so 
for me
it was a HUGE step .

next step is going to the store
and have my own RED colour mixed.
it has to be a warm red 
with a kind of orange touch 
so I am thinking of
 having some orange too
 and decide by myself
 to use that across eachother 
Now you know I am NOT a handyman !


I have this idea
for "my" frames to collect things
I love and put them in the frames 
as .... pictures
but also words or sentences
objects 
well I better show you 
when it's done .
the colours will be 
red*orange*pink*bit yellow
and G O L D .

today I saw for the first time 
work from an Italian artist 
named Arianna Caroli 
it was a You Tube movie
and I LOVED IT .
I do not know how to show it
overhere so I just let you know 
how it is called 
and you can maybe see for yourself 

*
L'Officiel Thailand - Culture 
"Art is Forever"
by Arianne Caroli.
*

work in progress
I am excited 

*






woensdag 20 januari 2016

the magic of circles



*

*
let us be grateful
to people who make us HAPPY
they are the charming
gardeners 
who make our SOULS blossom .

Marcel Proust

*
when I was young
I loved to read and
I loved to draw
I loved PAPER and it's magic

when nothing was there and
everything was possible.

being a child there was a  while
when I believed
all was possible
because there were not yet 
experiences of "making mistakes"

when children make drawings
most people will love the drawings and
give complements 
and are grateful .

there is something magical
in the drawings of young children
something with the colors they use
the space they use on the paper

when I was young I had crayons
and that was it .
I always always draw HOUSES
I loved to make houses .
first houses without walls 
where you could see the inside
than closed houses with friendly windows
and always a door with an opening
for the mail !
and later I draw my own blueprints
and floorplans .
always imagening the house .....

when I got older 
very soon we had to learn to adjust 
to draw how the teacher told us to do .
in my time there was NO room for 
creativity in drawing at school .
it was all 
class-teaching and there was no room
for individuals
to servive it was best to fit in
to fit in and be good , better , best .

that's how it was .
I stopped drawing .

when I became a kindergarten teacher 
I loved the drawings all over again 
and than I came into contact with
WALDORF-education 
waldorf-school
and knew this would be my 'home'.

*
I started this post about
people who make you happy .
I guess for me it's been about children
they make me happy 
the children in my classes
my own four children
and 
now 
there is my grandchild ......

and
of course I found
wonderful people on my way
who made and make me happy
charming gardeners 
who make my soul happy.

it's not easy to find the words
to describe where I am in my life
but 
let's say 
I know about the house
and it's time to work the garden

*