Let's talk about Reflections

Although I prefer promoting to look for the time ahead of one, to explore the future possibilities - no matter if they are large or small - I can not, like most people, avoid looking back in this time of the year.

It is December 30 - 2019 and tomorrow night we say goodbye to a year gone by and hello to the blanc canvas of 2020.
Is it just me or do you as well remember the Millennium celebrations like yesterday?
Time flies! That was my first New Year celebration in Friesland after my adventures in Sweden.
And now, 20 years later, the first celebration in my new home in Northern Friesland, even closer to my roots. I am slowly but surely moving towards Scandinavia!

Back to 2019, what a year this was, not just for me but for everyone. Each family, each home collected memories. Good ones, bad ones and in between. A year of new born life and a year of death - so close related. Of illnesses and recoveries. Of separations and new lives together. Of laughter and tears. Of storms and calm seas.
And whatever happened, as long a we are able to discover that it are the little things in life that teach us values, the stones we use to build our base, we know we can conquer another year. Even better, we are allowed to look forward to another year.

For me too, reflection time.
I knew when celebrating the transition from 2018 to 2019 that this was the last time in my old home. And as usual, I was on my own with a book, my favourite classical music and my animals.
I watched the fireworks above the nearby small city and the surrounding villages, particularly above the Wadden Sea, a few kilometres away, praying when ever I was going to sell my house, I could find a cottage close to the sea.
The tiny village I got to know during my Wadden photo shoots. Where I sat on a frozen bench covered by the golden orange sunset sky you only see in Winter time, with only the sound of the birds and the smell of a log fire. The total silence was so comfortable. I remember so well that this was the moment I fell in love with that village.

My only option was renting a house and I knew this was not going to be easy as what ever would be available, would not be available for long. During the photo shoots and my visits to the cosy local Pub, I talked about selling my house and wanting to live in this small fishing village.
My prayers were heard, my patience (not always easy!!) was rewarded. But it was only until 3 weeks before the new owners moved into my old house, that a cottage was available.....

In the meantime I had to keep my little business going, sorting out my belongings, getting ready for another move and hopefully the last one.
This all was only possible with the help of very dear friends who helped me out where ever they could. My gratefulness to them is beyond words, I will never forget what they did for me. And not only their helping hands and muscles but above all their mental support.
Their reward is my happiness; I am so incredible happy where I live now! I feel so much at home.
Not just because I have ancestral roots here but also because the typical Scandinavian characteristics are still so visible amongst the people here. The Vikings did a wonderful job forwarding their fierce genes when they put their stamp on the Friesian coast!

My life changed intense over the past years. Moments that life came to a hold with the clock ticking forwards. Moments that I created a new way of living, starting all over again, like I did 20 years ago.
I have learned throughout my life to look forward, to create, to live. Things my parents taught me, knowing by experience that you need to be prepared for unknown future events.
A strong character is given by birth and developed by believing in the impossible, encouraged by the right people around you. I have been so fortunate to have it all. My credo is well chosen: Fortis et Liber (Strong and Free).

The end of 2019, celebrating in my new home. Not only new for me but also for my animals. With even a new addition to the flock: Willow. An 11 years old very sweet and beautiful 'half' Russian Bleu cat. Unfortunately her owner died December 13 and Willow (her new name which sounds similar to the old one) desperately needed a new home. And she did not cross my path without a reason. Dog Bas and I missed our old cat Kater. For Bas a little furry friend, for Frits a friend to snuggle up with in his basket  and for me the comfort of a purring cat at my lap. And Willow turned out to be the perfect cat in our flock. Yes, she has a character of her own, but she is extremely intelligent, easy going and ever so sweet! She fits in like she has always lived with us. If she reaches the same age as Kater, we have 8 years of mutual friendship to enjoy.

Isn't it wonderful to celebrate new 'things'? A new way of living, feeling, seeing? That every heartbeat is for the future? Every love feeling is free of charge? Every sunrise and sunset available in stunning colours, just at your

Photo: Ike Roelfsema ©

doorstep? Every smile, young and old, is rewarded with a smile? Every unexpected hug a little present?
Meeting new people adding stories to your life? Learning from other people? This happens in real life and in virtual life. Meeting people is possible all over the world. Exchanging stories and likes, discovering new ways of communicating and sharing.

My wish for you my lovely readers, is a healthy as possible 2020, a New Year with exiting possibilities, with love and friendship but above all the power and vision to look for it and to accept it. And when you are open to it and found it, treasure it; the largest gift of it all!

Lots of love,

Helen

Let's talk about settling

It has been a while since my move from one little village to another.
In my previous blog post I was still sorting all my belongings and packing numerous removal boxes.

I was surprised how many things one can gather over the years. It was a mix of more then one household and what wasn't needed or 'to sort out on short term but it never happened' was boxed and stored in the garage.
Anyone who moved more than once will admit that it is the best opportunity to get rid of what you never missed over the past years, or what you probably will not use in the future. Or more realistic, what does not fit in the new home which is considerably smaller then the previous home.

Apart from taking much to the skip and the charity shop, I was also able to provide friends with nice things. Giving is so much nicer than selling, particularly when a happy face says "Thank you!"
I could not have done otherwise than giving warm hearted because I was surrounded by wonderful people who took the time to help me shifting. One couple even cooked meals for me! And not to forget the moral support from friends all over the world. I know, what ever I gave them, it will never be enough to express how thankful I was and still am.

I will not go deeper into the move other than that it was a logistic nightmare but I survived. The weeks or even months around the move can best be described as a 'tough job with lots of over time'  and a 'full time work out'. And yes, my physical condition definitely improved! (There is always a good side to everything!)

I loved my previous house, I lived there for over 10 years without one day of regret and I felt so sorry for the house that I was not able to maintain it anymore. It deserved new caring owners and that is what it got.
But I also love my new home, a small rental cottage in a fishing village close to the Wadden Sea.
From day one I felt comfortable and at ease. Of course, decorated with precious items which have been in the family for many generations, I had to feel at home. But it is not just that. It is the home it self. Built in 1890 and gently renovated over the past century, it is now up to the modern standards but still with originally features such as beams and wooden floors.

It does not have a garden at the back but a nice cosy patio where I spend more time reading and enjoying the sun than I ever did before.
It is situated in a tiny but very hospitable fishing village with a church with an 800 year old tower where the church bells still ring every 30 minutes to announce the time. I love the sound!
There is a wonderful Pub 'De Kalkman' where they serve several local brewed beers and very tasty food for very reasonable prices.

I also love the sound of the seagulls, geese and all other Wadden birds. I love the smell of the Wad.
I love that special light near the coast which changes every other minute.
A day can not start better than standing on top of the dike watching the clouds, the sun, the tides, an occasional sailing boat spending the night and waiting for high tide to leave again.

A village is only hospitable by to the people living here. They made me feel very welcome, do not

Photo by Ike Roelfsema Photography

hesitate to introduce them selves and to take the time to talk to me. I already received home grown apples, plums and raspberries.
They asked me to participate in the Village Fair by creating an oil painting (first time in my life).
The Fair was so nice although I did not attend the big parties at night. All streets were decorated with colourful small flags and lights and home made artistic creations which have been photographed by the many tourists that enjoy the village and the Wadden Sea.

I love the sunshine but also the rain and are looking forward to the famous sea mist that suddenly appears to cover the village in a mysterious soft grey light. I love the spectacular sunsets and cloud formations.
I do not have to explain my camera being my loyal companion.....

Happiness my dear readers, is all around me and I realize how very fortunate I am.
I share this happiness with you and if you ever want to visit 'my' village drop me a message.

Lots of love,

Helen

Let's talk about moving house

Moving house......... raise your hand if you never moved house.
Uhm, I do see only a very few hands, you probably still live in the house you were born in. That is precious, so many memories.

There are so many reasons to move house. A larger house, down sizing, escaping to the country or back to the city, a different country, following your partner, changing jobs. You name it.
In my case my father liked to change jobs. He loved jobs he could improve and when it was up and running again with big profits, he got bored. It happened more often than not that he came home telling my mother: "I accepted a new job offer, made an appointment for house viewings so start packing the removal boxes!".
And within a month or two, sometimes sooner, we moved to a different city or village. My brother hated it, I didn't. Ironically, after we all left home, he moved far more times than I did before he and his lovely family settled outside The Netherlands where they feel at home.

I have always been some sort of 'loner'. I mean not part of large groups of friends though come from a cosy family where everybody was welcome to share laughter and serious talks.
With only one brother but many friends, the house was never empty and sometimes I escaped to my secret hiding place in the garden to be on my own for a while.
My introversion was well understood by my parents and never discussed, we were raised to be a personality and not a 'go with the flow' child.

With every move my mother told us: "Where ever you go, you always take yourself with you. If you can make your current home a cosy place to be, you can do that in your next home too".
And how true is this. You are the base of your own life, make sure it is a solid base because circumstances in life can change in seconds.

Right now I am in a stage of my life where I do not have sufficient income to maintain a house.
Although I love my (former farm)house and especially the surroundings (fields, farms, the coast) and although I have lovely neighbours, it is time to move on to a rental house to start a new stage in my life.
I do not want to look back, I do not want to be sad about leaving the house. No, I am looking forward to make my new home as cosy as my present. I am not a materialist but I am indeed looking forward surrounding myself with all the lovely things that I inherited from many generations before me.
Things with a history, things I cherish.
Someone once told me: "I don't like it, I want to live in the future and not in the past".
Fortunately I am in the position to live with the past in the future.
It was Dr. Martin Luther king who said "We are not makers of history. We are made by history".
Another appealing quote comes from Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan "He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future, for it is from the past that we learn".

I am wandering off, so sorry! Back to moving house.
It sounds so easy, you pack your belongings, hire a van, drive to your new house, unload your van and start unpacking. Yes my dear readers, that is all there is to it.
If, or when..... you live with only a very few belongings and I do not.
I need to sort out so much and realize it is time to say goodbye to some of the visible history. I need to learn to understand that things I love need to go to people who will love it too and who maybe pass it on to their relatives or friends so the past will stay present in the future, loved and cherished by others. So that the history of my family goes to other family members. I fully admit that this is not easy for me. Fortunately I was brought up amongst relatives with the same 'problem'.
My first cousin visited me a few weeks ago to collect a 'family cupboard' which stayed with me for a few years and had to move on again. It was a pleasure to meet her husband for the very first time.
He looked around in my house and said: "I can see to which family you belong! You all have the same way of decorating and collecting!"

Speaking of collections (another hot item): books, chamber pots, photo cameras, storage tins, sheep miniatures, embroidery samples.......
Sigh..... or.... help!

Please ask the weather gods for good weather, right now we have heavy rains with lots of strong winds and I need dry weather to park the trailer near the house.
In the meantime I keep filling 'ready for immediate use' and 'ready for the attic' and 'photo props' and 'books' boxes.
With the help of precious friends that is :-)

To be continued.....

Helen