Let's talk about Home

 Home is where the Heart is, that is so true.

And my Heart feels so at home in the tiny Friesian fishing village I live.
A British friend once said: 'You are living the British dream: a cottage near the sea, a dog, wellies, baking your own bread and apple pie'.

I can only agree with her. I live a dream in a place I dearly love.
Close to the magnificent Wadden Sea, endless horizons allowing my thoughts to fly away. The wind whispering raindrops in my ears, the sun colouring my cheeks, the clouds embracing me and the moon sparkling my eyes.
The villagers who are ever so friendly, non judging. Here is where I can be I, nothing more and nothing less.

Yet it is Autumn and my Heart wanders off, following my Scandinavian (and even Viking) roots as well as the little percentage of Celtic.
My Heart flies with my thoughts to the North to walk through the forests, listening to the rustling colouring leaves, the nightfrost, silence, the smell of a welcoming log fire.
Old stories told by generations of ancestors.

A happy still devided Heart. And seeking a balance I sometimes retreat to my mental Isle either in my cosy cottage or walking the wetlands with my dog.

DNA and Genes are often part of my thoughts.
My ancestral DNA test in 2018 was a confirmation of who I am, why I feel so much at home in Scandinavia, the Northern parts of the UK and in Scotland. 
Why Celtic music and the emotional sounds of old Viking songs can bring tear to my eyes, causing a 'hemlängtan' (homesickness) to that other world.


Although I like the Northern Summers with the long days, my Heart craves for Autumn and Winter.
This is where I get my energy from, feeling so very much alive, so happy, so complete.

Yes, I asked myself why these two seasons but I don't know.
Born in Summer I should be a Summer's child but I am not. Every year again I look forward to Autumn with the shorter and colder days.
The dark evenings, the brighter stars during frosty cloudless nights.

Photo: Ike Roelfsema
Fjorden Norway

Candle light, log fires, a book, my favourite magazin, hot chocolate.
My dog and cat cuddled up next to me on the sofa, bird Idun at my feet.
To me this is Heaven, to me this is home, where my Heart is.

So where does my Heart belongs to? First and foremost it belongs to me and I take it with me everywhere I go. 
It sometimes ticks the same rithm as my emotions, my longings. And I follow it, allowing myself to fly.


A few years ago I wrote on my other Blog 'Helen Varras' Story Book', a story called The Sitter, based on a 17th century portrait of a man.
Although the story is pure fiction, my Heart was very much involved. During the writing it lived in this story, that place and that era.

Home is where the Heart is............

Wherever you are, live, travel, your Heart is there too.
Allow yourself to dream in the past. And the future, even when these dreams remain dreams.

Love,

Helen

Let's talk about 'More or Less'

 More or Less, we all use these words and I think very seldom evaluate them.
But sometimes I do. Ponder on words, taste them.

More or Less as a phrase 'They are more or less the same'.
Or a question 'More or Less?'
Or a statement (the other way round) 'Less is More'.
Or with synonyms such as 'almost, pretty  much, just about'.
No doubt you can add a few more.

Although I haven't arrived yet in the last quarter of my life (I plan to grow 100 years), I noticed that More or Less is very much suitable to growing older.
For example: when you grow older and develope more body fat, it is less easier to loose weight.
The more time you have to read (being part time pensioned) the less possibile it is without glasses.

I can not compete anymore with my own body (shape wise) and energy of 40 years ago, though I concider myself still very fit and young at heart. Let's be honest, heart and soul don't grow older, just the body.
And I have less wrinkles than some of my cousins who are less curved than I am.

Still lately I noticed I need more and more cream to maintain less wrinkles and to update the moisture content of my skin.
We have an expression in Holland to compliment someone who gained many years since you last saw him or her but still looks unwrinkled: 'You dried up nicely!'

I always thought that getting older means less obligations but it seems it does not turn out this way.
For a lot of things you need more time to accomplish them.
Puting cream on my face (or whole body by now) takes more time as I need to do this thoroughly to achieve more result. Using less cream is out of the question.
I pedicure my own feet but it takes more time to do so. To keep it nice I announced the Sundays to be my 'I spoil myself Day' which includes a proper pedi- and manicure.
Do I need more well known creams (avertised at the best of the best) and therefore spend more money? No, less famous creams are also adding more to your skin. You just need to spend a little more time to find them.

And then food........ I need to eat less food than in my younger years. The same amount of food means gaining weight, let alone more food.
I do need more excercise to gain less weight. 
And I wonder if this is why you you need a retirement in later life. To necessarily and unavoidable spend more time on things that took less time in your younger days or which were far more less of interest to you.

I enjoy being around people I love, like and value for e.g. a proper evaluation of the world, a good laugh or peronal talks but noticed I become less tolerante to large groups now I live more years on my own.
Said that, I have always loved more to be with just a few valuable people than amongst a crowd (called introversion). These people give me more energy where groups or noisy places, drain my energy.
I therefor thrive much more with less.

During the Summer lots of tourists from all over the world are visiting our tiny but ever so lovely village.
Walking my dog I often end up in conversations that  add more stories to my day.
The less expected, the more beautiful these stories are.

I live in a beautiful area: The Wadden Sea (world heritage) 

Photo: Ike Roelfsema

Sea, clouds, birds, endless horizons, just the sound  of nature. I do not need more to enjoy my life more. Less 'noise' means much more to me.
Particularly in Winter when nature is quiet or when storms blow daily life miles away and icy temperatures tickle my skin and energy.


Well, this post was less lengthly than previous ones because 'what more can I say'..... ;-)

My dear readers, please grow older with more values, spending less time on trivial things.

Hugs,

Helen

Let's talk about 'We'

 'We' is such a tiny word but with a much larger implication.

To create a 'we' one needs at least two people. 
You can not be a 'we' on your own unless you have a multiple personality disorder so called DID
But let us not go there.

'We' can cause a feeling of solidarity, togetherness. 'We went out for dinner'.
'We are invited to a reception'. 'We went on holiday, just the two of us.'
But 'we' can also involve millions of people: in Holland we live with 18.000.000 neighbours...
Sounds quite claustrophobic, doesn’t it.

Or ‘we’, your co-villagers, will look after your animals when you are in hospital’.
Which they did full hearted, bless them.

'We' can be used in general, to specify a certain amount of people, to express your positive feelings but also to express bad feelings.
'We don't get along at all. We always differ in opinions. It would be best if we don't meet again.'
In this case ‘we’ can be quite suffocating and it can be a huge relief if 'we' becomes 'me, he or she'.

So, 'we' always involves at least one other person and yourself in a conversation that involves most likely the same action of both. Or a request for the same action, agreements of ideas etc.
But not always....

A few weeks ago I was in an Academic Hospital for a hip revision, in the safe hands of an excellent team. And it was a very successful revision.
As all the Dutch know, nowadays you don't stay a minute longer in hospital than necessary. You are send home as soon as possible. Given you are not ill, no fever and sort of mobile.
'My' Team in Groningen is wonderful. So many people involved in the pre- and after operation care: 'Are there people at home to help when you need it? Do you need external help from specialists like physiotherapist? We want to be sure you have a comfortable rehabilitation at home.'

Only a few hours after the operation a female physiotherapist showed up at my bed side.
She was kind, helpful, knowledgeable and very serious about her job. But she made one mistake.........: 'we'!!

'Do we think we can stand next to our bed?'
I replied that I didn't know if she wanted to get out of her bed but I would give it a try to get out of my bed.
She looked at me, a bit puzzled, but missed the point.

'Fine' she said. 'Let us try to get out of bed. And let us be careful please!'
'Yes, I (with 'I' loud and clear) will be careful.'
But still she did not get it because after dizzy me standing next to my bed carefully walking a few steps, she explained to me 'what we could and should not do to guarantee a proper rehabilitation and healing'.

She returned the next day shortly before I went home again and was so pleased with the progress 'we made and that 'we' were ready to go home. She also mentioned she could see 'that we knew how to use the crutches'.

Needless to say that she did not go home with me. My temporary half 'we' stayed in hospital to help other people.
A most valued very dear friend collected just me and not her and drove 'us' (yes, he lives in my village too) home.

Do not get me wrong, I really liked the physiotherapist but oh how I disliked her 'we'.
Maybe (and only maybe), one uses the 'we' for a group of toddlers. To give them a feeling of togetherness, to comfort them. But I am not a toddler. Nor do I suffer from mental problems not knowing who or where I am. Nor do I have DID.

I am still wondering if I should have told her not the use 'we' in the way she did. I know she means well but please please, I am an adult!
Or maybe I am just a bit sensitive being someone who tries to work things out on her own, only asking for help if I realize I most certainly an without doubt, can not do something myself or on my own.

So, to anyone who reads this and using the 'we' , please realize that your well-meant way of talking can cause some disturbance with your public.
Never use the 'we' for grown ups, not even (or particularly not) when they suffer from dementia.
We are 'I's' and 'Me's' :-) Or when you talk to us, 'You's' 

Hugs from me!

Helen