Did you notice time flies?
Today it is 8 months ago that my dear husband passed away. Ever since, the concept 'time' changed completely. Sometimes it feels much longer than 8 months and sometimes it feels like yesterday with all the past months still ahead of me. At that very moment I feel the pain even more and with the knowledge of today, an uncertain future.
Don't take me wrong, I am not afraid to fight for my future. I am not afraid to be forced to look for an income, to find a job but sometimes it keeps me awake as, be honest, at 62 finding a job is not that easy.
But I have always been a fighter and that did not change. My glass has always been half full and that did not change either.
It is time, my dear readers, to list the good things that happened to me!
First of all against all odds, I published my first Dutch e-book (Observaties) in March. On the right side bar is listed where you can order it. I am happy to tell you e-book no. 2 is on its way.
It sells but only occasionally although the reviews of the readers are very positive! Still, I receive quite a few request to translate it to English and that is what I am working at (besides my novel). Stay tuned for more information!!
I created a Facebook page which is well visited, please take a look and follow me if you like : Helen Varras' Facebook Page
I also have a personal Facebook account, you are very welcome as my friend: Helen Varras
And there is my twitter account (the amount of followers keeps growing): Helen Varras on Twitter
Plus Instagram: Helen Varras on Instagram and Pinterest: Helen Varras on Pinterest
Last but not least and very important, my LinkedIn account: Helen Varras LinkedIn where I listed being a (freelance)writer, author, editor, translator and blogger.
You are right now on my 'private' blog but as you will have noticed in the top bar, there is also a Dutch and an English Blog. The Dutch Blog is all about updates and short stories. The English Blog is an occasional update and more and more short stories and I love to tell you more about the English short stories.
I love Instagram, the beautiful photo's on there are a joy to watch. I also found some beautiful people on there with my private account. But what I also found are photographers of abandoned places. Search for #abandoned on Instagram and have a look yourself.
Three photographers however, touched not only my heart, but their photo's also inspired me to write stories. There is so much to view and without doubt, there are so many unknown and untold tales attached to each photo!
I asked them if I was allowed to use some of their photo's to write a pure fictional story to it. And to my great joy and thankfulness, they said yes. Of course at the bottom of each story is a 'word of thanks' and a link to either the Instagram account or their websites and please, visit them.
To my astonishment I receive far more feedback to my English stories than my Dutch. Yes, I understand very well that English is a worldwide language, hence my translation of my first e-book.
Isn't it beautiful to be able to grow worldwide? To me it is a blessing.
But there is also a message to you: if you like my stories, or you want stories to illustrate your drawings or photo's, please contact me and let us discuss the possibilities.
Or if you have written stories in English, Swedish and German and you want me to translate them to Dutch (or from Dutch to English) you are of course also very welcome!
Besides all this I am hoping for people to get to know Helen Varras a little better. I want people to know that writing is my passion. I love it!! Stories evolve in my head during the day (or even in my dreams) and I think of it as a huge miracle to put these thoughts into words and into stories; short stories or a book.
I reserve my mornings for daily routine duties in the house and the garden and the afternoons and if I can't stop writing, the evenings for writing. And of course I can not resist participating in writing contests.
To my great joy I was one of the winners of a contest! I sent two stories and both stories will be published in a book (read more about it here) And not only that, one story ended at the 2nd place!!
Wow, I was (and still are) over the moon!! This is so encouraging, a confirmation that I have chosen the right new direction in my life. Still a long way to go and lots and lots to learn but this is something I can only look forward to!
This was on the writing side. Personally I am surrounded by wonderful people, most are my own friends but I also inherited some beautiful friends from my late husband. Everyone of these 'mixed' friends really care, are not afraid to talk to 'a widow', they are people who openly talk about happiness and sadness. Who love, laugh and cry with me. Who listen and who hug. Who send me flowers or little present. But above all, who encourage me to write, write and write.
How can I fear a future when surrounded by so many honest people? I don't! I am blessed and are well aware of it.
Thank you beautiful people!!! Sending you lots of love.
Helen
Showing posts with label e-books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label e-books. Show all posts
Saturday, 22 July 2017
Saturday, 10 June 2017
Chic Chac's and hierarchy
The readers of my Dutch and English Blog know I have chicken, 6 in total.
Chicken are known for their 'little' brains but if that means that they are stupid, I strongly disagree. Yes, they are naive at times but not stupid. Well...... most are not. And each chicken has a character of its own, a Chic Chac.
When I moved to this house, there were 8 Java dwarf chicken, funny and friendly animals who got along very well. And of course there was a cockerel to keep the peace in the pen (and garden).
But this was quite a few years ago, and all but one died. The oldest died at the age of 10, I called her 'grandma'.
The only one left was 8 at the time and she did very well on her own. Than winter came and although there is a lamp to heat the inner pen, she couldn't cuddle up with friends any more and I thought it was cruel to leave her on her own and bought her a new friend: a gold feathered Serama dwarf chicken who was laying the odd dwarf egg too.
The Serama is quite a character and was telling the Java that she was the boss from now on. The Java, very friendly, disagreed of course but within a few hours they were friends and got along extremely well.
A few weeks later I was able to buy two Bantams (Dutch dwarf chicken); they look like Pheasant hens and turned out to be dominant. It took more than a few hours before everybody got along peacefully. One of the Bantams took over and became the Alpha chicken and took care of her 'sister' who was the Omega.
Not much later I got two Serama's who were very young but lovely. One black-and-white and one dark brown, almost black. Again there was this struggle for hierarchy and no cockerel to handle it.
Why no cockerel you would ask? You live in the countryside!
True but I have a lovely neighbour who is always willing to help out and I am always welcome in their house, still, he hates the sound of a cockerel and I respect that. And... my youngest dog is interfering when the chicken quarrel. He runs full speed to the pen and barks. His bark brings a peace where all chicken unanimously agree to. And they are not afraid of the dog, they come to see where the barking is about...
It is 6 months after the first Serama arrived and I love to watch how they get along. The current hierarchy seems to work best. The Java is of course the oldest but not the Alpha, the Bantam still is and her 'sister' still the Omega. But the Java is definitely the smartest of them all. She does not fight and is a close friend to the gold feathered Serama who is definitely the most cheerful one and the best egg layer.
The dark brown Serama is most quiet but very close with the black-and-white who is far most the stupid one in the pen. Very, very sweet, tame and social but indeed stupid (as we say in Holland: 'exceptions confirm the rules').
The best time to observe their hierarchy is in the morning when they get their food and fruit/vegetables.
The Alpha Bantam (please don't joke that all Dutch are dominant.....) steps in the middle of the food bowl and only allows her 'sister' to eat. Just for the show, the black-and-white picks the 'sister' but is immediately told off by the Alpha. The dark brown Serama sits and waits; she is not in a hurry. The gold feathered is rushing around trying to get to the bowl too and occasionally act if she should be the boss.
And the Java??? You won't see her around in the outer pen, she is inside in the night pen where is also a bowl with food and relaxed and not bothered by hierarchy, she eats.
So, no brains??? Ha!
Enjoy a lovely weekend!
Helen.
Chicken are known for their 'little' brains but if that means that they are stupid, I strongly disagree. Yes, they are naive at times but not stupid. Well...... most are not. And each chicken has a character of its own, a Chic Chac.
When I moved to this house, there were 8 Java dwarf chicken, funny and friendly animals who got along very well. And of course there was a cockerel to keep the peace in the pen (and garden).
But this was quite a few years ago, and all but one died. The oldest died at the age of 10, I called her 'grandma'.
 |
| Serama eggs (photo Helen Varras) |
The Serama is quite a character and was telling the Java that she was the boss from now on. The Java, very friendly, disagreed of course but within a few hours they were friends and got along extremely well.
A few weeks later I was able to buy two Bantams (Dutch dwarf chicken); they look like Pheasant hens and turned out to be dominant. It took more than a few hours before everybody got along peacefully. One of the Bantams took over and became the Alpha chicken and took care of her 'sister' who was the Omega.
Not much later I got two Serama's who were very young but lovely. One black-and-white and one dark brown, almost black. Again there was this struggle for hierarchy and no cockerel to handle it.
Why no cockerel you would ask? You live in the countryside!
True but I have a lovely neighbour who is always willing to help out and I am always welcome in their house, still, he hates the sound of a cockerel and I respect that. And... my youngest dog is interfering when the chicken quarrel. He runs full speed to the pen and barks. His bark brings a peace where all chicken unanimously agree to. And they are not afraid of the dog, they come to see where the barking is about...
It is 6 months after the first Serama arrived and I love to watch how they get along. The current hierarchy seems to work best. The Java is of course the oldest but not the Alpha, the Bantam still is and her 'sister' still the Omega. But the Java is definitely the smartest of them all. She does not fight and is a close friend to the gold feathered Serama who is definitely the most cheerful one and the best egg layer.
The dark brown Serama is most quiet but very close with the black-and-white who is far most the stupid one in the pen. Very, very sweet, tame and social but indeed stupid (as we say in Holland: 'exceptions confirm the rules').
The best time to observe their hierarchy is in the morning when they get their food and fruit/vegetables.
The Alpha Bantam (please don't joke that all Dutch are dominant.....) steps in the middle of the food bowl and only allows her 'sister' to eat. Just for the show, the black-and-white picks the 'sister' but is immediately told off by the Alpha. The dark brown Serama sits and waits; she is not in a hurry. The gold feathered is rushing around trying to get to the bowl too and occasionally act if she should be the boss.
And the Java??? You won't see her around in the outer pen, she is inside in the night pen where is also a bowl with food and relaxed and not bothered by hierarchy, she eats.
So, no brains??? Ha!
Enjoy a lovely weekend!
Helen.
Saturday, 3 June 2017
Still visitors
Although I have not been posting for 4 years, there are still visitors to this blog. Thank you!
I know I have promised before to post more often but much has happened in the meantime.
Unfortunately my husband passed away in November 2016. I don't have to explain that this was a very, very sad time.
Early 2014 he was diagnosed with a heart problem and in July 2014 taken into hospital with a second heart problem on top of it. His health was critical at that very moment but still, his death in 2016 was totally unexpected. Not just by me but also his cardiologist and our GP.
Life changed dramatically without him.
I had to sell the motor home and are trying hard to generate an income, either a (part time)job or with writing.
And not only writing stories and books but also freelance writing, translations, proofreading.Please contact me when you think you need my skills
In March of this year, I published my very first e-book (in Dutch) 'Observaties' (Observations) and are planning to translate it in English this year, I received requests to do so.
The book contains 12 short stories which I wrote during our motor home holidays by observing people who behaved just a little bit different than expected.
I gave these people names and backgrounds. Therefore are all stories pure fiction.
The beautiful thing of writing is that you can combine a gentleman in France with a lady in Germany in a motor home on the North Cape. So many combinations are possible to create a story!
I write with the pseudonym Helen Varras, my e-book is for sale at bol.com, smashwords.com kobobooks.com and iBooks for 4,50 Euro's.
You will find all information on my 2 blogs Helen Varras (Dutch) and Skype Lifestyle (English)
You can find Helen Varras also on Facebook I would be more than happy when you like the page.
Although the massive loss and grief, life goes on, there is a new future waiting to be explored and lived.
Part of this future will be occasional updates on this blog. Feel free to subscribe to the other blogs, there are special buttons to do so.
From now on signed:
Helen
I know I have promised before to post more often but much has happened in the meantime.
Unfortunately my husband passed away in November 2016. I don't have to explain that this was a very, very sad time.
Early 2014 he was diagnosed with a heart problem and in July 2014 taken into hospital with a second heart problem on top of it. His health was critical at that very moment but still, his death in 2016 was totally unexpected. Not just by me but also his cardiologist and our GP.
Life changed dramatically without him.
I had to sell the motor home and are trying hard to generate an income, either a (part time)job or with writing.
And not only writing stories and books but also freelance writing, translations, proofreading.Please contact me when you think you need my skills
In March of this year, I published my very first e-book (in Dutch) 'Observaties' (Observations) and are planning to translate it in English this year, I received requests to do so.
The book contains 12 short stories which I wrote during our motor home holidays by observing people who behaved just a little bit different than expected.
I gave these people names and backgrounds. Therefore are all stories pure fiction.
The beautiful thing of writing is that you can combine a gentleman in France with a lady in Germany in a motor home on the North Cape. So many combinations are possible to create a story!
I write with the pseudonym Helen Varras, my e-book is for sale at bol.com, smashwords.com kobobooks.com and iBooks for 4,50 Euro's.
You will find all information on my 2 blogs Helen Varras (Dutch) and Skype Lifestyle (English)
You can find Helen Varras also on Facebook I would be more than happy when you like the page.
Although the massive loss and grief, life goes on, there is a new future waiting to be explored and lived.
Part of this future will be occasional updates on this blog. Feel free to subscribe to the other blogs, there are special buttons to do so.
From now on signed:
Helen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)