The Energy Boost Box

The second work week of January came to an end. I am about to face one of these weekends that P will be out of the house most of the time. Saturdays he will hide out in his private practice and on Sunday he will be out for work training! Believe it or not but there is work training for busy docs on a Sunday! Uhm, guess that we will only meet up while brushing our teeth and perhaps dinner!

But I had a productive week and I got to meet up with tons of things that made me smile. I am even tempted to state that in some dull brown boxes I did find the energy boost I am always after to get through a busy week.

1. BOOKS. That I had to unload all my cupboards for the painters I did not like. Would even state that it kind of hurt! Especially the fact that the announced workforce did not show up last Monday made me get into a real Twitter-outburst! Tiny little detail: they will come at the end of this month! P even said very spontaneously sorry for this mix up!!!! Wrote that one down in my diary!

But I did meet up with some very nice bookgems. Some of them I would like take over to my bank and then hire one of their high tech security vaults. For the moment it are especially the books illustrated by Rébecca Dautremer of whom I got three books filled up with breathtaking illustrations by her hand. When I dive into them chances are few that you can reach me easily! The one here below is an illustration out of her latest book:'Het geheime dagboek van Klein Duimpje.' Just so gorgeous to look at and one of those books that I do cherish for eternity! And those are some of the books that I will one day hand over to A or E (chances are in a dull brown box!) to take to their own house!



2. POETRY & QUOTES. I have got tons of oneliners in bookform. I do need some of these lines to get through certain moments of my lifeline & daily timeline! And yes I do think that the power of words is still underestimated. Words can make you feel better but can also get you down. This week I did experience both. Once words are put down on paper and can be read by others they do come to live in a different dimension. They are set free and you as a reader are given the priveledge to give your own interpretation to them.

This is also with poetry! One of the rather cute poems I came across while filling up the dull brown boxes is by the hand of Sjoerd Kuyper and to be found in children's book 'Ik blijf altijd bij je!' I am going to tease you and not translating this. You can make use of Google Translate trying to find out what it is about but this one would be for sure a very fitting one for Bella Swan to write down on a card for Edward Cullen!

Blozen

Ik hou niet zo van bloed,
jij wel?
Ik hou het liever in mijn vel.
Daar zit het goed,
mijn bloed.

Het enige wat ik graag zie
is een klein korstje op mijn knie,
waaraan ik op een luie dag
lang en voorzichtig pulken mag.

Nee, ik wil nooit meer bloeden.
En ik wil nooit meer blozen.
Maar als ik jou zie!
Ja, wat dan?
Dan bloeien alle rozen.


3. HISTORY: My all time favorite subject that I took in any school, college and university (and this globally) I have ever been to was history. I have to admit here openly that is for me the subject I miss the most not able to teach for the moment. So I do own tons of books that tell historical facts or are inspired historical persons or events. One of the most cherished history books that I own I was given by my beloved grandmother for my 21st birthday. When I read some its pages I do feel history resting in my hands: Ἱστορίης ἀπόδεξις! (I bet there is one of my faithful readers who is able to translate this one! ;-)) by the hand of the father of the historical database: Herodotus! Especially the passages where Darius & Alexander meet up!
And then there is this awesome scene in one of my 'coep de coeur' movies & books 'The English Patient' where Katherine, played by the superb Kristin Scott Thomas, adds a special touch to this rather oldie!



(One of my British all time favorite actors Colin Firth in there as well! And my perfect 'Mr Darcy' won this week a Golden Globe and I am very happy for him!!!! And now Colin, you go for that Oscar!! 50 is a great age to win that funny statue!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dCLQWW7GQo (copy&paste this one!)

4. MUSIC: Our house is filled up with tons of dull brown boxes and they are in the way! Our curtains have been taken down and our walls have been stripped naked and so for the moment our house is not the most cozy place to hang out. But one advantage it does bring along is that the empty space offers to do other fun things. And the last few days we have taken full advantage of this by dancing through our house. P is the best DJ ever and thanks to the bluetooth soundsystem we have got upstairs we even manage to dance all the way into the bathroom. Believe it or not but the dancing did seem to work for the mindfullness I am after! But every time A came up with this personal request P&I wanted to put in some earplugs!



So #1 according to A in order to dive into the bathtub and then imitate a rodent and shake up the house:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLxhuICUZbc.

P&I are for the moment trying to come up with a waterproof plan to make the DVD of 'Alvin & the Chipmunks' disappearing out of our house! So far no luck because A even takes the case up to his bedroom!

So #1 according to our inhouse doc:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezXxBY1AWfU

And he goes all the way on this one and he even forgets to follow up his own strict health regulations when this comes out of the speakers. I can assure you when he is out there in his nice pair of jeans, very cool blue shirt and his curls are waving into all directions that this girl just starts to move along and feels very happy!

SO #1 according to Stallie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fkxo7EsVOI

This girl (who also got her hair cut this week and got two thumbs not only by P also by her fantastic co-workers!) then starts to make silly movements and is very tempted to put on every single silly or fancy head she has got out there in some of the dull brown boxes! And yes, I did lost it due to this whole boxes-thingy! But for the moment I try to get the most positive energy boost out of them! This music manages to chase away for a few seconds the rathr dull and cold atmosphere that is looming around in our house!

5.SECRET PROJECTS:


Uhm, what can I tell about these because there are few? Well not much because then they are no secrets any longer. One made me go back to that one place where I last year got so dillussioned but seem to be granted an other go!
And I love it out there! It is there I get my major energy boost and seem to find out why I did choose for education above all other great things there was to choose from! The other one is of a total different order and it something that will take some time to come to live. But I am working at it.

6. COMEBACKS & NEWCOMERS:

COMEBACK of the week: GARFIELD! A is totally obsessed by him and this thanks to his awesome godmother N who gave him the movie as a xmas-present. I even broke out in sheer laughter because some of the rather funny scenes. A is even wondering what will happen if he would try to eat as much lasagne as Garfield! And so I even digged up one of these little books I have with Garfield cartoons. Here above you can find one that makes me LOL.

NEWCOMERS of the week are MY 'SPECIAL' JUNIORS, who had to get ready to face the real world and leave on Monday for their very first job placement training. Most of them are very nervous and even are doubting if they will manage. I wish them good luck next week when they for the first time in their lives will be on their own and having to cope with the daily ingredients of the working force. I have faith in them and these girls have got for sure some FIREWORK in them! So girls, this one is especially for you:

Adagio

When I used to dance ballet 'le barre' was always my love&hate part. It was out there I met up with my own possibilties! The older I got the harder some excercises got. The stretching took me to some very painful places. The moment there was sweat to be felt down my back I knew that I had arrived where I could get hurt and being pushed!

When the teacher called out 'Adagio' I started to curse! Because that were the moments that every single movement had to be perfect! Every stretching, pirouette, placement of your feet, piques, frappé or arabesque was going to be observed. Because all movements had to be done in slow motion. No covering up possible by speedy movements! Full concentration on your movements of your legs, arms, toes and you suddenly became aware of muscles you had never sensed before! Life got the adagio dimension!

And yes, there have been moments that some of my very demanding teachers pushed me a bit further. Not that they always told me in a very friendly way to go for the perfection! They sometimes just grabbed a body part and went for the kill. 'Do you feel the difference?' or 'That is what I want to see!', were then some sentences I got to hear. Most of them were never interested to hear my answer because I DID FEEL THE DIFFERENCE!

When I hear a music piece that is labelled 'in Adagio' I do feel not that upbeat! I can then suddenly be at the dark side and where it hurts the most. When I was last summer whith my mum at Saint Martins in the Fields attending a candle light concert it was when the string quartet played an adagio that I did travel through my own life and those of some of my friends. Not the easy, sunny, upbeat and speedy side but the side where pain is experienced the most!

I have made some promises to people (not always out loud) to care for them when I feel they need me. But sometimes I also feel speechless! Do I seem to be at lost for words! Can't find the right words because it will never be good enough what I will say. Not a single word or gesture will be able to make up for the pain, the anger, the defeat, the dissapointment or the loss. Not that I would like to try but I just DO FEEL THE DIFFERENCE that this time nothing will come of any good! Not that I would not like to try but I do know (because I have been out there a few times and have already given my life the 'Adagio' dimension) that for now all I can do is wait!

P.S.: Lara Fabian her version of 'Adagio' I play in my car in the mornings or evenings when I drive home! I do then get shivers down my spine!

The White Van

Uhm, one more day and I will be celebrating my birthday. Already mentioned it that I don't mind getting wrinkled. My pupils are already bugging me for years to tell them my age. It is like one of the best kept secrets. Yes, because of being a religion teacher and teaching social skill I do tell tons of rather private things. They do as well! We have certain rules when these lessons take place! Sacred rules! What they tell me I will never use against them and when they do seem to spill the beans about something that needs some extra action taken by others I invite them for an extra private chat. But my age they never will find out. At least I am not going to be one telling them! Believe me they keep on trying! And when they happen to call out the right number by accident I have on my best pokerface ever! 'No, I won't tell!'


Why? Well, because I try to make clear that I also have my limits. It is not because I have a blog that you will find out everything there is to know about Stallie. P is one of the few who knows me best. And I might give the idea that you will easily find out what I think like and what I do! When I do then I grant you my trust! Still....

But there are others who can read here between the lines. They know what I drink my coffee like, what I like to have for dessert, what kind of music makes my heart beat faster, when I will cry, when I will headbang or will totally go insane.... So even when I emotional-wise are called by many an open book because I seem to be so easy going when it comes down to talking about emotions, sometimes you might end up be mistaken by Stallie her outgoing attitude and actions!

Take yesterday! Yesterday, I was back in Paris! Not physically! Would love to but I am stuck here! But mentally! People who know the Paris-story will know (and no, I did not mention this before in an entry I left here behind) that this involved a white van, a very busy crossroad, lots of rain (look out of the window in case you live in Belgium and you get the picture!), an umbrella and a Belgian lady totally out of control! I lost it in Paris on a rainy Thursday afternoon in the middle of a crossroad just across the well known cinema 'L'Odeon'in the so postcard like neighbourhood Saint Germain des Pres! That day I got hit by the white van!

Now that white van is an image in my mind that stands for a wake up call. I snapped out of something at that crossroad! I did look like a mess already before the van-attack! Looked like a zombie (sleepdeprived and had been on the phone with Texas for hours) and also my face and eyes looked quite red! Believe me, I had tried the hours before to put everything in the right perspective! But this was not that easy because there are tons of white vans out there and someone told me in 2010 in a very convincing way:'Never trust the white van!' So hard to ignore! The fact is that I was and still am trying very hard to find where I truely belong:jobwise!

I am blessed with a very nice job, great colleagues, my teaching-audience still seems to find me qualified enough to entertain them and inspection has showed two tumbs up as well! VERY HAPPY HAPPY!! But since a few years something has entered my mind and heart! My parents were the first to tell me that they want me to be the best person I can be! P as well keeps reminding me and there are tons of friends who will start bugging me! No, it is not bugging! It is the white van that drives by! Deep down I know that they already have seen something that I have kind of ignored for years!

Last year I was given the opportunity to try something new: educational advisor! A gamble but my principal and colleagues supported me the whole way! I was scared because I was going to try something totally new! Taking risks! Well, in that one year I met up with the grown up Stallie but also the ambitious one! One that can't hide any longer! One that is prepared to gamble and take risks. Yes, I have said no to certain joboffers! Some were extremely challenging (too chicken at the time to dare!) ones or I turned out to have not enough experience for or I was over qualified! That last one did hurt the most.

Hey, when are you overqualified for a job? During that last job interview two people did crawl into my mind and I guess that they managed to got out of me what I had been hiding for years. That day one specific sentence got into my mind and never left ever since! Because the words one of these persons used were words that I will never openly say about myself! But others seem have noticed and have said it out loud as well! They even keep repeating it! Very convincingly these people sound then, they don't joke! I can tell & feel that!!

'You are at a crossroad in your life!', was one very cliché sentence I got back as feedback about that very 'special' interview. Okay, seems I am still standing out there! Or at least that is what feels like! I could move on, go straight and ignore the other roads! It is a very safe road I am on. By now I kind of know what it will bring me! You don't need to tell me! So now one year later I can try once more to move my cheese! The difference is that this time I will be the one who says that particular sentence that might make me find the job I am after!

After all my favorite part of the Twilight Saga is when Carlisle Cullen is stiching up Bella (Chapter 2, New Moon) and telling her:

"Like everything in life, I just had to decide what to do with what I was given!'

I do think I have found out what I was given. I can't hide it anymore! Especially now that I dragging around the cool tote bag with that quote printed on! It will be the constant reminder of something I truely believe in!

And yes, the number that is up on my birthday card is a very meaningful number to me. It is the number that my dad did find out where he truely belonged and also the year he fell head over heels in love with my mum! At that age life he crossed the road and changed gears and made a turn! Here I go! Watch out all white vans out there! This time I am totally focused! All I still need is an appointment with a dentist to make sure I less teeth clench! Chicken! But perhaps that is then waiting for a red van to pass by for the next wake up call!


P.S.: I choose this little scene of 'Meet Joe Black' as a very fitting scene to go along! Don't worry I did not got hit that badly by that white van but in my mind it did feel a bit like this!

P.S.2: Coincidence or not but a year ago on my birthday I was lying in the chair of the dentist! Uhm, seems that everything comes back to you like a boomerang!

Can you feel it?

I am back where I am considered by many very passionate: @work! The moment I saw my reflection in the door I just sensed it:’I missed this! Here at least I can think straight, act according to my beliefs and help where needed!’ Once I entered the teacher lounge I was back on track! In about three minutes my student teacher and I were planning! Turns out she is going to stay close a bit longer! And tomorow I meet up with a new one as well who is going to come and check me out and my pupils!

Seems I am alive and kicking and also thanks to the news of this morning! Many newsitems got my attention. Belgium is after all in a total political and economic turmoil. We, the people, try to stay focused and keep going on with what matters. The show must go on and most of us have a job to do. And I was rather relieved to go back into work. Looking forward to meeting up back with my co-workers, very focused Juniors and wild ‘Newborns’! But this morning there was one newsitem that made me even call out to P. ‘Marie-Rose got married to Frank!’, I screamed! For me this is the newsitem of the day! Why?

Well, Marie-Rose Morel and Frank Vanhecke that is out here in Flanders tabloid news. You can Google their names and then you will find enough background info on those two. When you do you will end up reading things about Belgiums most extreme political party, a woman with a mission, relationships that were very fragile and questioned by many, divorce, fights and about CANCER!

The day that Marie Rose got diagnosed with uterine cancer many must have felt sorry for her. The kind of cancer she turned out to have was/is one of the less treatable ones especially at her very young age. Rather considered fatal! Nothing much left to do about it. That day P & I talked about it during dinnertime that a very focused and headstrong woman as Marie-Rose must be going through hell. I also got shivers down my spine because this lady is just one year older than me! P his prognosis was doomlike!

But Marie-Rose did fight back! She did undergo the whole chemo and operations to get at least the time she did think she owed. Of couse the press followed her medical wise as well. And then one day Marie announced that she would write about her illness on her blog. Stallie had never before entered the website of Marie Rose Morrel. Her being a extreme right wing politician did make her a bit a less appealing person. Yes, many men will agree with her she has got style! Her eyes can make you dazzle but still...

So one evening I just surfed to her website and there I found her private blog. It was nicely done. As a website visitor you even got the choice if you wanted to read about her battle against cancer or not. I decided to dive into her story. What I did find was very touching, pure & a honest account of a sick to death woman who is holding on to everything she has got left in her life.

In the first place her two sons!! These kids mean the world to her. Pictures showed up in the newspapers and entertainment magazines of her fighting back the cancer. And then the unthinkable happened she was declared in remission! Against all odds! Marie Rose seemed to be back on her feet! Also during this time she did find out who her true friends were and she did openly admit that to her Frank, a partymember, is for sure the one true soulmate in her life! No surprises there!

Her political party seemed to have quite a hard time with some of the things Marie- Rose now just openly stated. In a way Marie-Rose seemed to be ready to just get it out in the open and she stayed very loyal to Frank in any political discussion. Privately she had to tackle many hurdles! But she managed to do it with dignity. The interviews I got to read in many publications never crossed a certain line or she never spit out openly her contempt to certain individuals who must be hurting her even more.

So when P then one night came home and told me that Marie-Rose her cancer had returned I suddenly met up with the very vulnerable doctor I live with. P is a very down to earth doc, very focused and many moments I seem to have impression that he treats illness and death so much different then I do. But I can assure you that then my very ‘dry’ and bussinesslike doctor showed his very human side.


Doctors do have feelings when dealing with sickness and death. They do question themselves and they are more then anyone aware of the facts of life. In most cases they just act when they meet up with a sick person, try to tackle the problem, set the right diagnosis and then start the treatment in the hope that it will be right one. They just don’t talk that much about it. In their case ‘action does speak so much louder then words’! Not all of them are like vampire-doc Carlisle Cullen but they do have got feelings! I have seen it, felt it and many others have told me! They act when they see a sick person! It is their job, nothing more,nothing less! ACTION! But they do have got feelings!

Action is also the word in Marie-Rose her life for the moment. She still tries to stay on top of things. One thing she posted the last few weeks were the bedtime stories she told her sons. Very touching! In her blog you can read that she still believes in all things that she stated in the beginning of her political carreer and that she only signed the statements of her political party she truely believed in. One of the points she did not follow her party was ‘euthanasia’.

In a way she is preparing her way out! One of the very touching things she did for her children is filling up envelopes with money and letters! She handed those over to Frank and instructed him to hand those over to her sons when they will be celebrating life! Holy communion, wedding, etc... Some people considered this odd! Well, I don’t!! If my dad would have done such a thing I would have been very happy. Because in a way Marie-Rose will be out there with her sons! And this at moments when you miss your parents the most when they are not there anymore to hug and hold on to! These kids will at least have a letter! A letter in which they can find back for sure the mother Marie-Rose is for them!

In the end Marie Rose is doing what many perhaps would forget to do when you are about to live this kind of rather suffering kind of life! Still taking care of those you love and don’t forget living yourself. Sucking out of it all it has got left! Marie Rose is still living! You can be sure the moment that Frank slipped around her finger that wedding bend on that cold Saturday morning in Brugges that she looked into they eyes of all the people she truely loves. Right there she embraced all she was given and wishes to keep safe! She seized the day! And I can't blame her!

The news stated that newly weds Marie-Rose & Frank will be travelling to Austria. Not for a honeymoon! No, for the last chapter of Marie Rose her life story. There she will be undergoing treatment that will have to make it all a bit more bearable. So this morning I pictured two people sitting in a plane holding on to each other heading for that last part of a journey that will for sure in the end bring pain & sadness for many. But she won't be alone to go the last steps of the way!

I did feel this morning something special in the air! Something strong, something that Marie-Rose must feel at times as well when she still tries to look up high and find the focus she needs to face whatever will come! Can you feel it?

P.S.: Frank & Marie-Rose did last Saturday for sure, not doubt about that and apparently the people who witnessed that act of love saw and felt it as well:

“Het was een zeer sereen moment, waar we enorm veel respect gezien hebben tussen mevrouw Morel en mijnheer Vanhecke. Ze zagen er gelukkig uit. Op het moment dat we het huwelijk voltrokken, zagen we echt liefde in het gezicht en een stuk blijdschap.”  
Brugse schepen Franky Demon

Headaches & Wannabe Belgian Politicians

I feel rather exhausted! Not that I have been sprinting up the Mount Everest or have done something exceptional cool and groundbreaking. Stallie just wishes to crawl under a huge big colorful quilt (like the one Rennee made for Bella in 'Eclips' would be nice!) and then stay out there for a very long time. Have even pledged that I will not read a single newspaper (not even the one on our iPad) and that I will turn of the radio once the news is on. Even am very tempted not to check the news-updates 'De Standaard' Tweets me. PLEASE, call it the day, Johan, and let us go back to the ballot box!

Yes, Stallie is fed up! The new year is only six days old and I already had my own share of things to handle with care. A managed to get sick (stomach flu), P managed to be on call and have to go in numerous times and I managed to get done nothing very productive! Not proud of that. It is not me! Always pledge myself to getting at least done a few things for work, get to see some friends or family, hang out and feel very festive like. Uhm, that just did not happen this break!

It is the first time for years that I just hang out at home. Forced! Snow, icy roads, feeling a bit out of tune, less focused, a sick son, a man on call,... On top of that I have already for days a headache! Migraines run in my family but together with glasses I seemed to have skipped that genes-puddle! Still, when I asked P, the very wise inhouse doc I am blessed with, all he could come up was:'Stress! You have got stress! Why?'

He then went on eating late dinner. I then gave him a suspicious look! But dared to go on telling him that I thaught about getting my eyesight checked out. That since three weeks I have these spells of blurred vision and headaches. I told him 'signals' like that when I arrived one morning at work after driving through a snowstorm I felt sick and that I need to take medication in order to survive loud 'Newborns'. 'Why?', was his very dry answer,'You still can see everything fine & clear, can't you? That with the snow that is quite normal! Can happen!''Yeah, but....', and then I got silent and moved into the bath tub to scrub and relax a bit! Or at I least tried!

Okay, I am a stressbunny and worry too much! I worry about tons of things that I should care less about. And yes, I worry about my government and politicians! I worry about A! I worry about the climate! I worry about my pay check! I worry about some very good friends who I try to take care of without interfering to much, etc... That I did manage to get our xmas-mail out of the door rather late I am also not proud of! The post office is located at the end of the world or at least that was what it seemed like.

The bubblepaper cover that I had wrapped myself into seems not to work for the moment. I think I even got unwrapped! It seems that for the moment I am big time the 'bad acting' Capricorn. Okay, my birthday is coming up! But the getting-older-issue is not that hard on me. In case it does or would I can still run to the hot shot beauty clinique that moved into our neighbourhood to get some botox injected. But I am fine on that part! Have even nothing planned the day itself! I will be at work for a very long day and evening and the day after P will be working rather late! So I think I will even skip for once my birthday! Still, I even checked out my daily horoscope in order to feel a bit better!

And this is what I get to manage with on a rainy Thursday while my beloved wannabe politicians are spitting out their latest opinions and insane-sounding newest theories and rediculious solutions and my headache gets worse:

"You almost certainly need to call in reinforcements when things start to get weird today -- and they are sure to get weird! Plans have an uncanny knack for going awry, but it's nobody's fault, really."

I have to admit that this cracks me up a bit but even laughing causes to make my head to hurt. Perhaps I have a brain tumor! AHHHHH! Where are the reinforcements? Still, I can't blame anybody when I am ignored! Where is the Paracetamol and the vacuum-cleaner?

P.S.1: In case you wonder what I feel like about this whole political turmoil and elections you can read up on it by clicking here: As life goes by: Casting votes THE FEELINGS & OPINION ON THAT ISSUE STILL HAVE NOT CHANGED! I am a true Capricorn! And yes, they should add two more words on that T-shirt pictured her above: BELGIAN POLITICIANS! It would sell big time!

P.S.2: To give you bit of an idea what it feels like when I have my splitting headaches and my vision gets messed up:

Happy New Notes Year!!!

Orkut.MastiTree.Com

You might have noticed that Stallie did not leave any posts lately. Why? Writer's block? Nope! Second thaughts once more about blogging? Nope! Nothing worthwhile to write about? Nope! Nothing of the latter! I just took a blog-leave for a few days. I granted that myself and I am tempted to keep that going on till I go back into work. But I do look forward blogwise to 2011! A new year means tons of new stories are in the making! Can't tell what I have in store for you. Time will tell.

I have for once not made any new year's resolutions. They don't agree with me! I have tried so many times and failed even more at trying. The list I created at the beginning of a new schoolyear is already hard enough to keep up with. And believe it or not keeping up with that one I seem to manage quite well. Still I do have some hopes. The year 2011 I do consider in my head quite important. Not that I can talk much about it. Because the times that I mention it or even start moaning about it I then get very cranky. Refuse to be that at the beginning of something new and fresh as a new year.

But I still have faith in most of the people & things I truely believe in. The champagne and the other festive-like filled up glasses have not killed that spirit. There was even one bottle that stood out and you can be sure that it made my head spin and my heart glow! Thanks M&D for that extremely special night to end and start the year! So Stallie won't be up for major changes in the next 12 months, my expectations are low or call them rather realistic. No big plans to change the world or to do major (unless asked for) interventions in the lives of others.

So you can rest assured that I will still try to act according to my true beliefs. That I still try to keep up my faith in many objects and people. People who I love and sometimes will curse as well. Perhaps even hurt and will get hurt by! I am only human and not perfect. Also very fragile! The Xmas season always makes me feel humble and also very grateful for what I have been given or have received. Especially second chances!

In 2010 I have been granted that a few times and have granted it to others. No regrets on that part. It made my life more worthwhile. I did lose some 'good' (at least that was I thaught for years!) friends in the last 12 months but in the end even that process brought me so much more. It granted me to travel into the depth of human relationships and feelings. And I discovered that I do feel blessed and that human happiness is mostly someting you can create yourself by doing very small things.

When I do feel low I turn on the radio or plug in my headphones. I do admit that I then sometimes will start to move around. My feet then take over my mind and then I am of to a different place. That is all that it will take to find back my focus. If life would have background music to it and the globe would be one gigantic well polished dancefloor I would be out there dancing away. Once in while I will even unplug myself and then perhaps take a break and just listen to the music. Music can heal or at least bring peace to the restless soul.

I therefor wish you in 2011 lots of forceful notes that will go crescendo, once in a while an adagio to take things at ease and time and patience to listen to the music composed by others. 2011 will brings for sure new billboard hits and also a few one hit wonders but in the end you are the one who writes his or her own symphony of life!

In case you are thinking of letting us play along: I am better at dancing then playing a musical instrument but I love being the triangle, P prefers the drums and A is awesome at goofing around on the electric guitar, the air kind!! Here at home we seem to be ready as well to face the music of 2011! But we hope especially to hear many happy tunes! Music Maestro!!! PLEASE!!!


P.S.: I picked out a song by Sting because he manages to do something music-wise with me that not many can. Danced tons of solos on this one on toeshoes! Love as well the movie 'Bed Of Roses' they have integrated in this one. HINT HINT: buy in 2011 once in a while a bit more flowers for the ones you love it will make their hearts melt and smile or it can be the first sparkle of hope you are after! Or perhaps a singing telegram? ;-))