TT #24: in my past

Thirteen things from my past Yes, that's me in the header; taken in 1976! Get to know me a bit better by reading about the past. Here is a random selection of things that made me into the person I am today. In the first class (when I was 6) I wore glasses with one eye covered. I have a lazy eye, but the glasses didn't work. I hated them and they were hideous too. I have one picture of me wearing them, but that's still packed somewhere. My brother Gerard and I had a love-hate relationship during the time we both lived with our parents. He is 6 years older and we argued all the time. Very harsh sometimes, but when one of us was away we missed the other terribly. And when something happened to me, he stood up for me like my "big brother"; don't touch his little sis! We drove mum and dad crazy. I have been a majorette for more than 10 years. I loved twirling and was very good in it. I also was the instructor for the younger group. And... I met Ron there, who played drums in the drumband! I liked school very much. I have always been the best of the class with high marks without too much effort. That made me proud but it also caused a lot of stress for me, because I didn't want to "fail". The perfectionist in me prevailed. When I was a child, I often came home with wounded birds and other little animals. I even got angry when my mum killed a fly or ant. Needless to say I still love animals that much, all animals! I remember playing in our street when I was about 3. Suddenly a car (a Beetle) appeared and hit me, but stopped just in time. The image that remains is that I'm lying on the ground watching the bumper of the beetle. I wasn't hurt, just had a few scratches. I was a father's child. He could answer all my questions (and I asked a lot!) and when he couldn't he helped me find the answer elsewhere. Later he was waiting for me after school with a cup of tea. He knew perfectly when to ask further and when to be silent. We watched sports together, discussed just about everything and made cryptograms together. I also loved my mother very much, but with her I did other things: shopping, visits, etc. We were both early birds and in the morning she often helped me with my homework. She pronounced the words exactly as they were written. Her pronunciation of French, English and German sounded hilarious and we laughed about it a lot. But it worked and I always knew how to write the words! When my sister Joke was 18 (and I was 8) she moved out to live together with Leo. I often stayed with them for the weekend, first in Beverwijk, later in Haarlem. I always enjoyed myself very much. My mum and dad didn't have their license, so Leo's car was the first in our family. When they got married in 1980 I was bridesmaid. I've had issues with food and my weight for as long as I can remember. I can't say exactly when it became an eating-disorder. I have had anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder and mixtures of them. I've been obese, skinny and everything in between. I've been addicted to laxatives. I tried all kinds of self-help and therapies. Finally, when I was 32, the breakthrough came when I checked myself into a specialized clinic in Amsterdam. I never say I'm cured, but I can handle it and know what to do when I'm going the wrong way. When I was a teenager I looked older than I really was. I often had older friends. My boyfriends were always older. I had more, but before Ron I only had a few serious relationships. I got engaged with Arie, my dancing partner. We were together for two to three years, but he cheated on me with (what I thought was) a friend. I was devastated. When I was 13 or 14 I was raped. Horrible, but I've had great help. I'll never forget it, but I have given it a place. Unfortunately the perpetrators have never been caught. About a year later I lost my real virginity to a very special friend in a wonderful and loving way. He knew about the rape and made me feel very special. After school I wanted to go to university to study English and/or Dutch, but that wasn't possible financially. I decided to step in my father's footsteps. He was a book-keeper/accountant. I started to work 4 days (for KPMG) and go to school 1 day to become a registered accountant. I loved the work. Unfortunately a few years into it I had to stop because of my depression and eating-disorders. ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ Bond ~*~ Laura ~*~ JohnH985 ~*~ Nadiah Alwi ~*~ Retta ~*~ Caylynn ~*~ Friday's Child ~*~ Thomma Lyn ~*~ Lexa Roséan ~*~ Daisy ~*~ Darla ~*~ Turnbaby ~*~ Silver ~*~ Raggedy ~*~ Gattina ~*~ Wylie Kinson ~*~ Gina ~*~ Christine ~*~ Chelle Y. ~*~ Angela ~*~ Susan Helene ~*~ Rose ~*~ Debby ~*~ Starrlight ~*~ Uisce ~*~ superstar ~*~ Sueann ~*~ Miss Pink ~*~ Amy Ruttan ~*~ Laurence ~*~ Sparky Duck ~*~ Joy Renee ~*~ Nathalie ~*~ Judy Callarman ~*~ Marcia ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Moving Wonder

Last Friday Wonder moved from Breda to Den Haag (The Hague). Very early Ron, Leo (my brother-in-law) and I drove to Breda. Unfortunately we were the only ones there to help. There was a lot of last things still to be packed; that kept us busy for hours. Then all the boxes and other stuff had to be walked to the elevator, load elevator, go down, empty elevator, walk outside, load removal truck and all over again. By the time everything was finally loaded into the truck, the four of us were worn out! The people moving into his old flat had left us something to eat and drink when they went back. The piece of chocolate I got tasted like heaven!
Ron was driving the removal truck and I was with him. It was very special to him. He has his driver's license for trucks, but it's not his daily work. He has fond memories though, because his father was a truck driver and he went with him very often. His father has died in 1996, but he was with us in the cabin. Ron felt it too. I know his father is very proud of him.
First we drove to Wonder's mother to collect a leather couch. She had made vegetable soup and sandwiches for us. Ron emptied a bottle of pop to quench his thurst. By then it was past 4pm, high time to leave for Den Haag. Wonder tried to get some more people to help over there, but we got only one man extra to unload in Den Haag. Not enough by far, but the truck had to be back that day, so there was no choice but to start. The new apartment is on the second floor, first a long straight flight of stairs and then a long one with a twist. I think you get the picture... When the truck was empty we sat down for a while, drove the truck back to Breda and were home around 1am. Needless to say we all were exhausted, empty and feeling like a wreck.
I knew I would do too much during the move; I had taken that into consideration. It turned out to be way beyond my capability. I have gone too far for too long, so now I have to pay. Over the weekend I have only slept and stayed on the couch. Saturday my throat started to hurt and my voice got worse. Since yesterday my voice is completely gone. Today I feel a bit better though. I won't complain too much; I know why I did it and it was my own choice to do so.
Still, the new apartment is a lovely place to live! I had been there before with Wonder, the old occupants are friends of us. It feels good and it matches Wonder perfectly. It was hard for him to leave the old flat, but he will make this his own little paradise again.

TT # 23: 2007

Thirteen facts about 2007 Some interesting stuff about our new year! 2007 will be the year of the sign Pisces in Western Astrology. The next year of Pisces will take place in 2019. Most of 2007 overlaps with the Year of the Pig (Boar) in the Chinese calendar (dates until February 17 are in the Year of the Dog). The next year of the pig will start in 2019. International Polar Year - a collaborative, international effort researching the polar regions. 2007-2008 is the 4th time, read the history here. The UN Convention on Migratory Species and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society WDCS have declared 2007 the Year of The Dolphin. The European Union made 2007 the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All to make people in the EU more aware of their rights to enjoy equal treatment and a life free of discrimination. Newsweek is declaring 2007 Year of the Widget (blend of window and gadget, fun web programs you can run right on your desktop or add as a feature on your blog) The Australian Government has announced 2007 to be the Year of the Surf Lifesaver (YSL) to recognise the centenary of Surf Life Saving in Australia. UNESCO designated 2007 the Year of Rumi (famous poet, jurist and theologian) to celebrate his 800th birthday anniversary. African science ministers will ask their heads of state at this month's African Union (AU) summit to designate 2007 as the Year for Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa. The city council of Santa Fe has declared 2007 the Year of O'Keeffe; Georgia O'Keeffe was an award-winning painter. VisitBritain calls 2007 the Year of the Garden. 2007 will be the Year of Europe in Brussels, Belgium. Three weeks ago The New York Times invited predictions on what 2007 would be "the year of" in media, and the user-generated responses were abundant and wiki-licious. Unfortunately you have to be a member to read them! main source: Google ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ Harley~*~ Joan ~*~ Susan ~*~ Nathalie ~*~ Laura ~*~ Raggedy ~*~ Samantha ~*~ Anne ~*~ Caylynn ~*~ Joy Renee ~*~ Carmen ~*~ Terri ~*~ Skittles ~*~ busy91 ~*~ Sweet Kitty ~*~ Noillirac ~*~ el-e-e ~*~ Thomma Lyn ~*~ pawpads ~*~ Christine d'Abo ~*~ Wylie Kinson ~*~ Bond ~*~ Chickadee ~*~ Chris ~*~ Turnbaby ~*~ Cheryl ~*~ Darla ~*~ Haley-O ~*~ oseas ~*~ Duchess ~*~ Susan Helene Gottfried ~*~ scribbit ~*~ Geekwif ~*~ she ~*~ Sparky Duck ~*~ Judy Callarman ~*~ peppylady ~*~ Heather ~*~ Gina ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

LibraryThing

A few days ago I found a website to which I'm already addicted now: LibraryThing! It is an online service to help people catalog their books easily. You can access your catalog from anywhere, even on your mobile phone. Because everyone catalogs together, LibraryThing also connects people with the same books, comes up with suggestions for what to read next, and so forth. If you like books, it is really worthwhile to check it out. I find new features every day.
Joining is easy: just a (nick)name and password are required. A free account allows you to catalog up to 200 books. A paid account ($10 for a year or $25 for a lifetime) allows you to catalog any number of books.
Adding books can be done easily:

1. adding manually
2. search libraries from other members and simply click "add to my library"
3. search 80 sources around the world (Amazon, all kinds of libraries, etc.)
4. import books (by uploading, URL or source code - for example BookCrossing, Amazon)

I've put a LT-widget in the sidebar of my log, that shows random books from My Library. The covers bring you to the Amazon website, the rest are links to LibraryThing.
I already joined some groups there too, in which I can meet other LT-ers with the same interest. There's even a little community of Dutch people already. Not a lot of Dutch sources yet, but I think that will change.

I hope to see you on LibraryThing!
(and no, I don't get paid for this, I really like it that much!)

Happy New Year

First of all, happy new year to everyone who reads this! All the best to you and yours for the coming year (and after). 2006 wasn't exactly my year. I hope 2007 will bring positive and happy things. I'm all ready for it!

New Year's Eve we wanted to stay at home, because it was the first time for Freyja and Bastet. We didn't know yet how they would react to the fireworks. Our former cats weren't afraid or just hid until it was over. Both the dogs are pretty scared. Wonder and his girlfriend took them to the beach in the afternoon where they could walk without the banging of fireworks.
We had invited 6 friends to dinner and to spend the evening with us. Wonder and Ron prepared a delicious dinner. As a starter we had shrimp cocktail (soup for the vegetarians / non-fish eaters). Main course: grilled salmon with mustard sauce (veggieburger / steaks with mushroom sauce), broccoli and baked potatoes. Dessert: Viennetta (ice cake) with whipped cream. Yummy!!
We had a very pleasant evening together. Sometimes I felt sad because of mum. We had our own little routine for New Year's Eve. She always wanted to stay at home alone, but I brought her something in the afternoon, called her and after midnight we walked to her home to wish her happy new year. I missed her and dad so much, but I didn't let it spoil my evening. Whenever I needed it, someone saw it and gave me a hug.
At midnight we hugged and kissed and wished each other a very happy new year. I cried. Outside the fireworks burst out. I put Foofur and Boris in the little hall under the stairs, where it was dark and sounds seemed farther away. Freyja and Bastet weren't impressed. At the most they pointed their ears to the banging. No worries there.
We had no firework, but Wonder had brought his stuff for fire-spitting. He has done that more often, but Ron had never seen it. The wind was tricky and a bit dangerous, but it was spectacular to say the least. The neighbours were impressed too. Afterwards we sat inside and talked. Some went for a walk. When everyone went home (or to bed) Ron and I cleared away the mess so we wouldn't have to do everything this morning. I was in bed around half past 3.

pictures: IJs

TT #22: resolutions

Thirteen New Year's resolutions New Year's Resolutions are the curse of the modern calendar. Our calendar is not in rhythm with the natural world; we have not had a timekeeping system in sync with the cosmos and nature for centuries. Our intentions are honorable, but our timing stinks. The right timing for new beginnings is at the spring equinox: to innovate, target our goals, and just do it. From Winter Solstice on December 21st until Spring Equinox on March 19th, it's time to reflect, slow down, and hibernate... let the old disintegrate and die while the embryonic seed energy builds up for sowing new and wonderful things at the natural spring New Year. ©2003 by Joyce Mason Having said that... I can't resist to try anyway! ;-) go back inside and make contact with myself again, learn to accept and honour myself (read more here) lose weight (what's new..?) bring back regularity in my eating pattern be more involved in planning and preparing dinner exercise more frequently meditate drink less Diet Coke work on my Temple of ARA petition spend more time in nature be more active again in snail mail projects (PostcardFairies, PostCrossing, etc.) visit the pet shelter for "cuddle duty" make time to let the creative juices flow say NO more often, be assertive ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ N. Mallory ~*~ Nathalie ~*~ Skittles ~*~ Di ~*~ Mike ~*~ Darla ~*~ busy91 ~*~ My Twenty Cents Keeps Moving ~*~ DK Raymer ~*~ candyminx ~*~ she ~*~ Norma ~*~ Sparky Duck ~*~ Laura ~*~ Erika ~*~ SciFiChick ~*~ Laughing Muse ~*~ Kim Priestap ~*~ Joy Renee ~*~ Stacy ~*~ Maggie ~*~ Tisha ~*~ elementaryhistoryteacher ~*~ Cheryl ~*~ Desert Songbird ~*~ Christine ~*~ Bond ~*~ Teena ~*~ Dawn ~*~ peppylady ~*~ Caylynn ~*~ Mert ~*~ Gina ~*~ Jenny Ryan ~*~ amy ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Miss you, mum...

You said when you'd die

That you'd walk with me every day
And I'd start to cry and say

Please don't talk that way

With the blink of an eye

The Lord came and asked you to leave

You went to a better place

But it stole you away from me

And now she lives in heaven

But I know they let her out

To take care of me

There's a strange kind of light

Caressing me tonight

Pray silence my fear she is near

Bringing heaven down here

I miss your love I miss your touch

But I'm feeling you every day

And I can almost hear you say

'You've come a long way baby'

And now you live in heaven

But I know they let you out

To take care of me

There's a strange kind of light

In my bedroom tonight

Pray silence my fear she is near

Bring your heaven down here

You taught me kings and queens

While stroking my hair

In my darkest hour I know you are there

Kneeling down beside me

Whispering my prayer

Yes there's a strange kind of light

Caressing me tonight

Pray silence my fear she is near

Bringing heaven down here

The next time that we meet

I will bow at her feet

And say wasn't life sweet

Then we'll prepare

To take heaven down there

( - R.P. Williams)

Yule on the Brookberg

Last weekend Wonder and I celebrated Yule on the Brookberg. We were there last June for Midsummer, this time for the opposite side of the wheel of the year: Midwinter. The country estate in winter is different, but beautiful nevertheless.

When we arrived nobody was there, so we couldn't park the car inside. We put it outside and crawled under de barrier. We took a long walk around the lake, the scenery is amazing. By the time we got back, others had arrived and we could pitch the tent. We were the only ones sleeping in a tent. We had brought a heater and plenty of blankets, so we wouldn't get cold at night. Wonder decorated the tent; we had our own cosy place to stay.

It was good to be there again. The place has something calming, you just don't want to rush anymore. Most of the people we already knew, some were new to us. Renée had come and to our surprise two other friends we didn't expect were there, a nice surprise. The group felt warm and close.

We cast the circle next to a willow tree near the lake, a very special place. The cattle felt attracted and came close too. The weather was cold but not freezing and it stayed dry all weekend. In the morning a thick fog was almost hiding the lake. Somewhat later I took this picture, which I have as my desktop background now.

Saturday afternoon the group built the sweat lodge and prepared everything for the fire. For the stone ceremony everyone took two big stones to put in the fire and later heat the sweat lodge. The first stone was charged with a wish/intention for yourself, the second one for a group of people that could use some extra good intentions. Without knowing it Wonder and I had chosen the same people for our second stone: a dear friend of us and her family. She is twice blessed. :-)

After something warm to drink we prepared for the sweat lodge itself. At first it was a bit chilly in the nude, but that changed very quickly. It was very hot, but I enjoyed it as much as the first time. Ben2Bears thanked Mother Earth and spoke about the meaning of Yule.
Then we each told why we were there and with what intention. I was there to go back inside and make contact with myself again, learn to accept and honour myself. It's a big issue, I've been struggling with it all my life and it won't be done at once. But I want to think of myself as important and worthy as I think of others. Pfew...
In the sweat lodge I lost track of time, but afterwards I heard we had stayed there for 45 minutes. It was a special and magical experience once more.

After the sweat lodge ritual it was time for dinner. Boy, was I hungry (and thirsty)! Everyone had made or bought something, so there was more than enough. I tasted a little bit of everything, yummy! After dinner we sat and talked amongst ourselves.

Late at night we went outside for a drum circle around the fire. Wonder and I didn't drum this time, but we enjoyed the sound of the others on a blanket near the fire. The group was called inside just when the fire was at its best, pity! Inside we did a crystal ceremony. It was wonderful, but during the meditation I dozed off and almost fell asleep. Oops! Not that strange though as it was near 2am already.

When we went to the tent, the generator was off but it was still warm inside. We were very tired so it didn't take too long to fall asleep. I haven't been cold at all and I slept great! Around 5am I had to walk to the toilet inside the building; that was cold but back in bed I was warm again quickly. The alarm went off at 9am, but we stayed in bed and slept a little longer. We were last at the breakfast table.

Some people had already gone home. Renée had left saturday night, because her hubby has the flu. Others left after breakfast. The remaining people cleared away the mess. Next we closed the circle to end our gathering. It has been a splendid weekend!

Happy Yule by Dusty

On The Dusty Millers LiveWood Site I found two wonderful (You Tube) Yule blessings. I thought I'd share them with you by giving the link. Enjoy!
While you're there check out the rest of the website and the blog of Dusty Miller the 13th. His Season's Greeting shows a beautiful and impressive tree, I love it! I've met Dusty when he was in Amsterdam in April this year. He did a walk-and-talk in the Vondelpark, which I enjoyed very much. I'd love to go to "his" wood and visit the ancient trees there.

TT #21: Yule

Thirteen facts about Yule Yule is celebrated on the 21st of december: today! Yule is a turning point in nature: the shortest day and the longest night. After Yule the days become longer again. At Yule we celebrate the return of the light. The God (the sun) is reborn. Fires and candles are lit to encourage the light to become stronger and stronger. Yule means "wheel", which refers to the Wheel of the Year: the cycle of the 8 witches' sabbaths. The wheel starts at Yule. Other names are: Midwinter, Winter Solstice, Winter Equinox, Alban Arthan, Finn’s Day, Joel. The colours of Yule are: red (fire), green (nature), white (light), gold (God, sun), silver (Goddess). The Yule tree is decorated with all natural material: fir cones, berries, straw figures, etc. In earlier times the tree was burnt as an offering to the Sun, the God. Now we put lights in the tree instead. The Yule log is a large log of freshly cut wood (oak). Originally, the Yule Log was burned in honour of the gods and to bring good luck in the coming year. To help kindle the fire, holly was placed under the log. Guests would toss a sprig of holly into the fire to burn up the troubles of the past year and to keep their houses safe from burning down in the New Year. The ashes were scattered over the land to give them fertility for a good harvest. Each year a piece of the Yule Log was saved and used to start the fire for the next year's log. Pagans today use the Yule Log in a symbolic way to do the same. Yule was a time to eat and drink all the remains of the harvest that were liable to decay. This feast was shared with the whole family. The rich often shared with the poor because there was enough for everyone. The explanation of kissing under the mistletoe extends back into Norse mythology. The Norse god Balder was the best loved of all the gods. His mother was Frigga, goddess of love and beauty. She loved her son so much that she wanted to make sure no harm would come to him. So she went through the world, securing promises from everything that sprang from the four elements (fire, water, air, and earth) that they would not harm her beloved Balder. Leave it to Loki, a sly, evil spirit, to find the loophole. The loophole was mistletoe. He made an arrow from its wood. To make the prank even nastier, he took the arrow to Hoder, Balder's brother, who was blind. Guiding Holder's hand, Loki directed the arrow at Balder's heart, and he fell dead. Frigga's tears became the mistletoe's white berries. Balder is restored to life, and Frigga is so grateful that she reverses the reputation of the offending plant, making it a symbol of love and promising to bestow a kiss upon anyone who passes under it. Yule is also a festival, not just a single holiday. The Yule season or Yuletide begins on the solstice, which is the Mother Night of Yule, and ends 12 nights later with Twelfth Night/New Years. The Horned God is represented by a stag. That's where our present reindeers come from. Drinking Wassail at Yule is an English custom from heathen times. 'Wassail' comes from the Anglo-Saxon Wes Hal, meaning "to your health". The beverage is made from ale, wine, and/or cider with fruits and spices added. Traditionally it was used in part as an offering to apple trees in thanks and for their continued fruitfulness. Bits of toast were floated in the wassail bowl, then placed in the branches of the tree, and libations poured over the roots. (This is the origin of our term "to toast" someone.) ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ Amy C. ~*~ Jamie ~*~ Darla ~*~ Skittles ~*~ Caylynn ~*~ Carmen ~*~ Laura ~*~ Le laquet ~*~ Shannon ~*~ Sanni ~*~ colleenR ~*~ Mikala ~*~ ChupieandJ'smama ~*~ Sweet Kitty ~*~ scooper ~*~ Starrlight ~*~ Candy Minx ~*~ Joy Renee ~*~ The Shrone ~*~ mar ~*~ Zeus ~*~ noladawn ~*~ Amy ~*~ Susan Helene Gottfried ~*~ Kukka-Maria ~*~ busy91 ~*~ Terri ~*~ peppylady ~*~ JennIAm ~*~ Sparky Duck ~*~ Judy Callarman ~*~ Gina ~*~ Caledonia ~*~ Cheryl ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Home cleansing

Ever since Ron and I have moved into our present home I have been planning to do a house cleansing. During the rebuilding I put a blessing in one of the walls downstairs, but never came to do more. It is an old house (1918) and a lot of people have lived here before us. It has been a dairy shop and later several families lived in 3 apartments.
I have noticed other energies in our home from the beginning, especially upstairs. Although Ron and I are very happy with the house and with each other, there was something about it that made me feel tired, uncomfortable. Wonder noticed it too when he stayed here. We planned to do the cleansing together. First we wanted to do it when Ron wasn't there (he doesn't like the smell of incense), but since Ron is still home from work we decided to do it yesterday evening.
We cast a circle, lit candles and burnt an incense mixture of Californian sage, Palo Santo, patchouli and sandalwood in an Abalone shell. I took a white candle to bring the light, Wonder took the shell and a feather to move the smoke around. Together we went to every room in the house to remove old energies and residue of past emotions, and to recharge with love and light. We moved on when it felt right. In the bedroom I got shivers, burps and felt sick. Wonder had a similar experience. We both felt a negative force and saw/knew what had happened in that room. Let me just tell you it wasn't very nice... It took some extra effort to get rid of it, but afterwards it felt better. Wonder smudged the room, bed and my dreamcatcher. Then we went downstairs. That felt better, probably because it is all changed and new. We opened windows, put on all the lights and let the candles burn. We closed the circle. It was a tiring experience and we both needed something to drink and eat.
It's a bit early to draw any conclusion, but the house feels a lot better. I slept remarkably well last night. Even Ron mentioned he wasn't wet of sweat when he woke up. I hope it continues to feel this way!

TT #20: holiday decorating

Thirteen christmas decorations Yes, I yielded to the temptation of decorating my home for the holidays all the same... and I'm so glad I did. It feels warm! I'll share some pics with you in this TT. Some are a bit blurry, sorry. the tree, a Nordman that doesn't loose its needles easily the crib under the tree and close (yes, Christian; it belonged to my parents) the star on the top of the tree the fairy Ron gave me last year the decoration I gave Ron last year, it says "surrounded by love" in Dutch two red hearts bound with a silver ribbon, symbolizing our love Monique gave me a card and a beautiful little angel to give me comfort when I miss mum, it's hanging in the tree Foofur and Freyja under the tree, Bastet in the empty box after decorating;Boris doesn't come near the tree on the door is a card holder, we still need to hang up some lines for the other cards the old windows on the long side of our home inside and outside the window on the front of our home the corner window shows the tree from outside the table while writing holiday cards and after, I bought cats & dogs charity cards when I was in London in September ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ Nathalie ~*~ Caylynn ~*~ Darla ~*~ Judy Callarman ~*~ Sparky Duck ~*~ Chelle ~*~ Candy Minx ~*~ Chickadee ~*~ Danielle ~*~ Lucienne ~*~ Scooper ~*~ Jenny Ryan ~*~ Bubba ~*~ Dragonheart ~*~ Tug ~*~ Terri ~*~ Ivy ~*~ Gina ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Stress and relief

Yesterday Ron had an appointment with his psychologist and later his boss stopped by for a visit. Both went okay but it was a busy and stressful afternoon, so Ron really needed and wanted some distraction. A friend invited us to go to the Comedy Cafe. On Tuesday nights there is Open Podium for stand-up comedians: new talents and professionals that want to try new material. I've been there before and liked it very much. Yesterday was a great night with mostly good comedians. We enjoyed ourselves and Ron was very relaxed.
We were home around 1am. I was very tired, but felt okay. Before I went to bed I had to go to the toilet. When I was leaving the bathroom I got a black-out and fell on the ground. Ron and Wonder put me into bed. I was away for 15 minutes. When I "woke up" I was even more tired and cold, but Ron was warm and I fell asleep very quickly.
This morning I had to go back to the internist. My blood pressure was 160/100, lower than before but that could be because of my black-out. I can drink all tea flavours again, as long as I keep an eye on the ingredients. I'll have to take a medicine to lower the blood pressure. My thyroid values are fluctuating slightly, I have low ferro values and the sarcoidosis is decreasing. Next appointment at the end of March.

Midwinterfair

Yesterday I went to the Midwinterfair, a fantasy/medieval/pagan event in themepark Archeon, with Wonder and his girlfriend. It's a big inside and outside market with shops (stalls), folk concerts, storytellers, workshops, demonstrations, readings, gametournaments, LARP-groups (Live Action Role Playing), etc. in a great setting. The weather had been bad until Friday, but we were lucky; it was not too cold, mostly dry and sometimes even sunny.
We met a lot of friends and acquaintances. I was surprised and happy to see our friend Renée, who had her own booth selling stuff (soap, incense, runes, etc) and promoting Vrouw Holda. Among other things she gives workshops and courses. Wonder and I both picked a rune while asking a question. Her explanation was right to the point and helpful. She made a picture of the three of us. We'll see her again at Yule.
All in all we had a great time. The fair was open until 8pm (we were there at 1pm), so we had time enough to explore. Still we haven't seen everything, but that's okay. Before we left we made some pictures in the brewery in the convent. I posed with a monk. :-)

TT #19: divination

Thirteen methods of divination Divination is the art or practise of foretelling the future (or past) and/or communicating with the supernatural when seeking guidance using different methods. Tarot, the most well-known tool of divination. Often used is the Rider Waite Deck, but there are numerous decks available. I use the Druidcraft Tarot. Runes, an ancient Germanic alphabet often put on stones, pieces of wood, etc. You can buy a set ( I have one), but I want to make my own set. The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is the world's oldest book (approx. 4000 years old) and earliest known intuitive decision-making system, based on the binary logic of yin/yang. Scrying is a method of divination by gazing into the shiny or reflective surface of an object. A crystal ball is the most well-known scrying tool (on this picture you can see mine), but you can also use a black mirror, water, oil, etc. Witch stones, a set of eight natural gemstones painted by hand with symbols of magical tools to throw on a pentagram casting chart. You can buy a set, but I made my set in a workshop years ago. Graphology: handwriting analysis A Pendulum is often used for answers that require a simple yes, no or undetermined answer, but it can also be used with a chart. You can make your own pendulum or buy one. This is mine, made of black tourmaline. Tasseomancy: reading tea leaves, or coffee grinds, or wine sediments. Palmistry or hand analysis Bibliomancy: divination using a book. The book will be opened at a random page and while keeping your eyes closed you will point at a line or passage in the book. Psychometry: the ability to "read" the history of certain objects and/or their owner by holding the object Ouija Board, I mention it because it is known by a lot of people, but I can only give one advice: DON'T! It can be dangerous, especially with unexperienced people who don't know what they are dealing with. In fact almost everything can be used for divination. This list is just the top of the iceberg. If you're interested to read more, just put "divination" in Google and you'll have plenty to explore! ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ mar ~*~ Darla ~*~ Nathalie ~*~ Caylynn ~*~ Sweet Kitty ~*~ Carmen ~*~ scooper ~*~ Sanni ~*~ Terri ~*~ Judy Callarman ~*~ Gattina ~*~ Nancy ~*~ Sparky Duck ~*~ Wicked Witch ~*~ Sophisticated Writer ~*~ Christine ~*~ Mitch ~*~ Candy Minx ~*~ peppylady ~*~ Jenny Ryan ~*~ Twyla ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants