United C (ballet)

Yesterday evening I've been to a ballet performance: WHO cycle by United-C in De Melkweg in Amsterdam. It consisted of 4 different performances: 3 solo and 1 with 4 dancers. As their website says: "4 intimate documents, each pleasing to the eye as well as alarming. Each literally as well as figuratively in all nudity." Yes, the dancers were naked, but that was never a sexual thing. Sensual, sometimes erotic, but most of the time a beautiful tribute to the body.

I really loved the performances, the dancers are great, each in their own personal way. I was on the front row and the dances captivated me from the first second to the very last. It was intriguing, magical, enchanting. Sometimes I had to remind myself to keep breathing. At the end of the third solo there was a twenty-minute break, but I had to stay on my chair for a while to get back from some kind of trance. I may sound lyrical, but that's just how good it was!

In the first solo Hilde Elbers was amazing. She went through a lot of emotions: falling hard on the ground, crawling like a panther, her moves always beautiful and perfect. Her laugh was contagious at first, but slowly changed to hysterical and back.
Marleen Kleinstapel expressed despair brilliantly in the second solo. It looked as if she couldn't finish a certain move. She started over and over, bringing her despair to the public although she was completely in her own world.
The last solo was the best one for me. Marjolein Vogels danced with a mattress in a staggering way. Her face and body have an amazing range of expressions to show feelings, tell stories. Her performance took me to another world.
After the break the floor was soaking wet with olive oil. Four dancers were lying motionless among dozens of broken glasses. Slowly they started moving, swimming through the oil and glasses so easily but always graceful and elegant as if the broken glass wasn't dangerous at all.

If you want to see them: on May 7 & 8 they'll be dancing in Eindhoven!

Oh no...

Today is the celebration of Queen's Day in the Netherlands. The Royal family was visiting Apeldoorn. Their open bus was making its way to the Loo palace. Suddenly a black Suzuki Swift breaks his way through the crowd crashing into "De Naald" monument.

It's not clear if this is an accident, an act of terrorism or something else. Fourteen people are wounded, the rumours talk about four deaths. The Royal family was not hurt in any way, but they are shocked. Queen Beatrix has expressed the sympathy of her family to the victims and their families.

The Mayor of Apeldoorn announced that the rest of the activities are cancelled and more cities in our country are following that example. Queen's Day will never be the same...


13.45 - Two deaths are confirmed...
15.45 - Press conference. 4 deaths, 5 seriously injured, 8 minor injuries. it happened on purpose. 1 male suspect, 38 years, native Dutch, in hospital at the moment. no suspicion of terrorism.
20.19 - A fifth death was announced.

May 1, 8.40 - The perpetrator has died from brain injuries tonight before he could explain why he did what he did.

TT #98: random stuff

Thirteen random things It has been a while since I did a TT, so here's a new one. Just some random stuff I'd like to share with you. Today is Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) in The Netherlands. You can read more about it here. Queen Beatrix and her family will visit Apeldoorn, but there are activities throughout the country. I especially like the freemarkets on the streets in almost every town or village, where mostly children (or so it should be...) sell old toys, books, stuff! Last weekend Ron and I went to the Elf Fantasy Fair in Haarzuilens, a medieval / gothic / fantasy / pagan festival on the grounds around Castle "De Haar". I'll post about it later and add my pictures. Ron is still recovering from his surgery. The pain afterwards is worse than expected; they really should have told us about it. It's slowly getting better and his armpits and hands are still dry. He is a happy man! The last few weeks I was a member of the application committee that was interviewing people for the job of coordinator of the pool of voluntary people helping others with their own experience. As a member of the pool I was added to the committee. It was very interesting work! Maia has been neutered today. She is still a bit woozy, but everything's okay. She is almost two years old now, but she remains very little. That poor little body with a big cut on her tummy... I spoil her rotten! ;-) This is my 98th Thursday Thirteen. I want to do 100 and then it's time to quit. Time for a new meme, a new challenge. Do you have a tip? Let me know! This coming weekend Ron and I will go to a pagan forum meeting in Hengelo to celebrate Beltane. I hope the weather will be nice, so we can have the ritual outside and make some great fires! I have finished the fifth and last book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I simply love this series and now it has ended... The heroine can be described as "Buffy in regency-era London", a brilliant setting with unexpected plots. Don't know it? Lucky you, because you have 5 great books to read! Colleen Gleason is an amazing author; on her website you can read all about her and the series. Around this time I would have been initiated with the other Ara-girls, but it wasn't meant to be (yet?)... We are very disappointed and consider our possibilities. I'd still love to be initiated in the Ara tradition, but there are some issues that have to be solved first. This year around Midsummer Ron and I will go back on vacation to the lovely cottage near Lier in Belgium where we stayed last year. We are invited to stay there for two weeks while our friends (the owners) are away. Although I'll miss the cats very much, I really look forward to spend time in this little paradise again! I am busy organising a walk in the dunes near IJmuiden with a guide that has been a ranger there for years. He knows a lot about everything that grows and lives in the dune area. The walk will have the focus on herbs. Have you seen the video of Susan Boyle in Britains Got Talent? She has a fabulous voice. Looks can deceive... Everyone was laughing at her, until she opened her mouth. Wow!! I hope her dream comes true, she deserves no less. A new Star Trek movie is coming! I have to see it of course. I'll have to get used to new faces with familiar names, but that doesn't have to be a problem. Did you watch the trailer already? The release date is May 7. ~*~*~*~ 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 Unfortunately the original TT website doesn't exist anymore. There's a new hub : Thursday-13!

Earth Day 2009

Today is Earth Day, a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries around the world every year. I support Earth Day, but in fact every day should be Earth Day..! On EarthDay.gov I found this explanation:
"Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions. Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet." Hear hear!

Back home

Thank you all for your candles, thoughts, etc. It has worked: his hands and armpits are completely dry! The surgery went well but they forgot to call me, so I was waiting downstairs getting more nervous by the minute. I decided to go upstairs and asked a nurse. Finally I heard everything was fine. Half an hour later Ron returned to his room. He felt okay. During the night he had pain and tightness of the chest as a result of the deflating of his lungs one by one. He says it feels like having bruised ribs. He 'just' has to breathe good and deep, the pain will go away after a while. He has two stitches on every side (about 10cm under his armpits); those can be taken out in two weeks by our own family doctor. He has to call the clinic next week to let them know how he is.

I had a reasonably good night. I was very very tired after a long day, so I slept before my head touched the pillows. I was awake from time to time, because I missed Ron. We hardly ever sleep apart. Somewhere in the middle of the night I was wide awake and felt restless. I think that must have been when Ron had his pain attack. In the morning I checked out and drove back to the hospital. Ron had to wait for the doctor to give permission to go home. The nurse gave him a painkiller for the drive and a prescription for more painkillers. I drove home in 2 hours. Ron is resting and hopefully sleeping upstairs and I'm catching up with my (e-)mail and other stuff.

Surgery Ron

Last week Ron got a message from the Sudor Clinic in Almelo. He has to check in tomorrow morning for his thoracoscopic sympathectomy (the link leads you to an animation), surgery in which the nerves that cause hyperhidrosis (excessive perspiration) under his arms will be partly cut/burned. He is nervous about the operation itself, but also looking forward to finally getting rid of this problem. He has tried everything there is to overcome it, but nothing really helped. This procedure is drastic, but the only option left for Ron. It is performed in other hospitals in the Netherlands too, but the Sudor clinic is specialised and has the highest success percentage (98%!).
We'll leave early in the morning to be there in time. Ron has to stay one night for observation. I have booked a simple hotelroom nearby. If all goes as planned he'll be released from hospital on Thursday and we can come home. I wish we were that far already! I'm at least as nervous as Ron is. Please think of him, pray, light a candle, anything you want; all support is welcome!

Planetary Magic

This weekend I attended a workshop of the Olympia group with Marian Green. The subject was "planetary magic". I hadn't been feeling very well the week before, but this was interesting enough to be present! I didn't know very much about the theme, almost nothing to be precise, but thought it would be interesting. And it was!

We learned about the planetary correspondences, symbols, colours, meaning and lots more. Like always with Marian not only the facts, but also understanding what's behind it and why. She told us about the origin of the planetary symbols and how they are built out of the same elements (a crescent moon and a cross mainly). I could never remember the symbols, but now I can. The word planet comes from Greek and means "wanderer", because for the ancient people the planets seemed to wander along the sky. Just to name some things I learned. :)

On Sunday we had a ritual to get acquainted and connect with the planets. I represented Mercury, dressed in orange. Saturday evening I had done research on the www. Some of the members had made a planetary talisman; those were purified and blessed in the circle. It was a wonderful ritual. The group is awesome. Everyone can do their own thing from the heart within the structure of the ritual. There is trust, so each person can feel at ease.

It was a very interesting workshop. Marian has so much knowledge and she shares it freely. In between talking about the theme I always pick up a lot of other stuff. Olympia rocks!
I'm going to explore the subject of planetary magic further. So if you know any good books or websites about it, please share!

Earth Hour is today!!

In December 2009 world leaders meet in Copenhagen to agree on a post-Kyoto policy for tackling climate change. One billion people voting with their light switch during Earth Hour will create a powerful mandate for our leaders to take strong and decisive action on climate change. Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

I'm switching off the lights tonight. What's your vote??

update 20.51u: The lights are off, the house is lit by candles. It gives a special atmosphere, warm and intimate. Not everyone understands (or wants to understand) why we are doing this. Ah well, we know why... We are the only ones in our street, pity! The neighbours must think our fuses have blown... ;-)

Phantasium

Last Saturday Ron and I went to Phantasium, a new fair in Eindhoven "where Fantasy, Gothic and the Middle Ages meet", and witches! We arrived around 1pm. The hall was filled with stalls selling all kinds of stuff. It was a bit dark, just enough light to see the stalls and the people. Ron had brought his new camera to try it out. The strange light didn't make it easier, but I think he did great. I've put the pictures in an online album, so judge for yourself!
Our favourite folkband Rapalje performed several times on the podium, yay! Another highlight was the LARP wedding / handfasting of Cernunnos and Mutti Goblin (of Greenthingz). I saw a lot of people I know and met good friends. The fair lasted until 8 pm, but at the end of the afternoon I was pooped! We left around 6pm.

J.W. Waterhouse exhibition

Yesterday Wonder and I went to the J.W. Waterhouse Exhibition in the Groninger Museum, the largest retrospective of the art of John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) ever mounted. Although Waterhouse’s compelling scenes are admired by millions of people worldwide, the general public knows relatively little about the man himself and his artistic production. This exhibition features 92 paintings, drawings, and sketchbooks. It is the first to consider his entire career, demonstrating his engagement with contemporary trends ranging from antiquarianism to mystical spirituality.

I have always admired Waterhouse's art. It was amazing to see the paintings for real. The colours, the texture, looking up close, the sketchbooks and studies... fabulous!! I enjoyed myself so much. I have bought the hardcover catalogue guide and will look back very often. Our pictures can be found here.

After Groningen (until May 3rd) the exhibition will travel to the Royal Academy of Arts in London (June 23 – Sept. 13, 2009) and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Canada (Oct. 1, 2009 – Feb. 7, 2010). If you like Waterhouse and you get the chance: GO! :-)

COT #26: pictures and an artist

CATS ON TUESDAY is a group of cat lovers

who share pictures and/or stories about their cats once a week,
hosted by Gattina.

Ron's birthday present was a new digital camera (Canon EOS 450D), so that had to be tested. What better models than the cats? In the end they tried to hide! "No daddy, please stop now!" ;-)


This edition of CoT I'd like to introduce you to a wonderful artist who makes fabulous cat drawings. Do you know this one?
I've had it in my files for quite some time. I love it, but I never knew who made it. Through a mutual friend on Facebook I discovered the artist. Her name is Carrie Hawks. Take a look at her website and her Zazzle Gift Gallery. Great gifts for yourself and other cat lovers!

Busy busy

I haven't updated as much as I wanted. I've been busy for my doing (is that how you say it in English?), and I need a lot of rest in between. I'll bring you up-to-date now. :)

Rons first talk with the outplacement bureau wasn't what he hoped for. He wants another job a.s.a.p. (preferably yesterday), but there are procedures. We hope the next talk will be more constructive.

Friday evening we had dinner with friends and then went to a theatre concert by Rapalje, a Celtic folkband from the Netherlands. Ron and I are big fans. We've often seen them at fairs and other events. We also visited their first theatre tour. The concert was great!

Yesterday Wonder and I went to the Onkruidbeurs (Onkruid is an inspiring alternative/esoteric magazine, beurs=fair). There was a lot to see. We had a nice chair massage halfway. Wonder is looking for a study/course to complement the ones he already did.

In between all this I've been busy with the Ara-girls about the postponed initiations, doing some voluntary jobs for the empirical experts pool and a lot of other stuff. Sometimes exhausting, but I choose to do all this so I have to take the consequences too.

Exertion test

Today I had the exertion test in the CFS centre in Amsterdam. We had to be there at 9.15 am, so we had to drive through the morning rush-hour. It took almost thrice the normal time.
First they made an ECG. I also had to do a longfunction test; that went okay, I scored 98%. Then I put on my sportswear and climbed on the exercise bike. I had a mask on to breathe through, a zillion stickers on my body with wires, a clip on one finger and something around another finger; I must have looked like an alien! ;-) The test itself was quite tough. I could say when to stop, but of course I didn't want to quit too soon. I cycled for 20 minutes or so. Afterwards I was dizzy and exhausted.
Although all the results have to be reviewed in the team, the doctor told me his first impression. It looks like the oxygen and carbon levels in my blood are off when I strain myself, which makes me dizzy and tired, and give me a dry throat. If that's the case I should do the same bike test again in the VU hospital, where they can observe the levels in my blood directly when I'm cycling. I can call in 3 weeks for the overall results. At that time we make another appointment to talk things over and see what we can do next.
At the end I got a portable device strapped on for 24 hours. It will measure and record my blood pressure every 30 minutes. It started 11am this morning and stops 11am tomorrow morning. The band around my arm and the small hose are inconvenient and irritating, but it's okay. When I took a nap this afternoon I was so tired it didn't wake me up, so I hope I'll sleep somehow tonight. I can see the measurements too. My blood pressure varies from 150-165 over 110-125 up until now.

Updates

A few weeks ago I got a letter from the UWV, the organisation that pays my monthly disability allowance. I had to come for a re-examination and re-assessment of my condition. That was a big surprise. After the tests and the result in 2006 they told me they wouldn’t invite me again. The appointment was last Monday. When I got there, the doctor had read my file and was wondering out loud why I was invited at all. He thought it was because of a note his colleague made in 2006, that was misinterpreted by the administration department. He asked some things, made some notes and I was outside again in no time.

Next Tuesday I have an appointment in the CFS Centre for an exertion test. Afterwards I will get a portable monitor for 24 hours to observe my heart. It is part of the examinations the cardiologist wanted to do. I hope I’ll hear more about what they think is possible in treating my fatigue problem.

The Temple of Ara initiation has been cancelled for Beltane this year. There weren’t enough candidates in Italy after all, so the costs would rise substantially. We just can’t afford that. Because Ara Lowlands has 6 candidates we looked into the possibility of doing the initiations in The Netherlands or Belgium. We even considered going to New York, where Phyllis lives. Alas, at the moment none of those options are feasible. We’ll have to wait and discuss future plans. Maybe for later this year or early 2010, we’ll see.

Next Wednesday Ron has his first interview with the outplacement bureau. They called him last week; it was a very good talk. Ron told them how he feels and what he hopes they can do for and with him. Every day he leaves for work with leaden step. He doesn’t feel comfortable there anymore and the work they gave him is not exactly challenging. He has lost his drive and motivation, simply does what he has to do. That’s nothing like the “normal” Ron, who wants to show effort and devotion in his job. It hurts me to see him like this. He has so much to give, but they don’t want it anymore. Well, their loss!!!

COT #25: cat on top

CATS ON TUESDAY is a group of cat lovers

who share pictures and/or stories about their cats once a week,
hosted by Gattina.

Freyja & Maia love to sleep together: close, intertwined, sometimes not knowing where one cat starts and the other one ends. But last week beat everything! When I was sleeping, they were lying on top of me (nothing unusual there...). Ron made these two pics of them:



Don't they look cute? Freyja isn't a heavy cat, but still... I can't believe Maia just slept through this!