Show and Tell Friday

Envelopes and cards can be so boring so one of my favourite things to do is decorate them :) I'm certainly no Rembrandt or Magritte, but my friends like them :o)

This one is to my best friend Henriette

The back

And one this one is to Tini :o)

And last the back

One heck of an year

Let me tell you that the last 14 months have not be fun. In April nan Adriana passed away, in May nan Elizabeth, in June my dog. They do say things come in three don't they. I should have known. I just came back for lunch and mum says to me she has bad news. Our aunt has just passed away :( It's so incredibly unbelievable. She was such a wonderful lively person, it's difficult to imagine a world without her. My poor Aunt Wilhelmina is the only one in her generation left. A few days ago my aunt Johanna's sister passed away. She was in her late forties. She went to town shopping where she suddenly had breathing problems. Went home to lie down, the next day she's dead :'( It's unbelievable how much aunt Johanna (and her family) have gone through. First the death of her son-in-law (my cousin who was 30 yo), two weeks later she breaks her leg (which 1,5 years later still causes a lot of pain), and now her sister who was as healthy as a horse passes away. If you are religious, please keep our families in your prayers. Thank you.

Liesel

I Remember I Remember

Poetry Monday

I Remember I Remember
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon
Nor brought too long a day;
But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away. I Remember I Remember
The roses, red and white.
The violets and the lily-cups--
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday,--
The tree is living yet!
I Remember I Remember
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air musr rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then
That is so heavy now,
The summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow.

I Remember I Remember
The fir-trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now 'tis little joy
To know I'm farther from Heaven
Than when I was a boy.

Thomas Hood

Sunday Reading: Dream a Little Dream

I looked in the mirrow just after getting out of bed -never a good thing to do, is it?- and I look how I feel: ugh. As white as a sheet with a nose as red as Rudolph. I have a loo roll permently within in hand reach because I've gone through all my kleenex. It's one of those days you just want to spend rolled up in a ball on the sofa with a feel good book. If I can get into it. Unfortunely I need to go into town to buy food, the cupboards are pratically empty. Well hopefully being outside will clear up my head and make me feel a bit better :)

Liesel

~*~

Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

=one of my favourite books=

A Desperate Young Mother
Rachel Stone's bad luck has taken a turn for the worse. With an empty wallet, a car's that's spilling smoke, and a five-year-old son to support, she's come home to a town that hates her. But this determined young widow with a scandalous past has learned how to be a fighter. And she'll do anything to keep her child safe—even take on. . .

A Man With No Heart
Gabe Bonner wants to be left alone, especially by the beautiful outcast who's invaded his property. She has a ton of attitude, a talent for trouble, and a child who brings back bad memories. Yet Rachel's feisty spirit might just be heaven-sent to save a tough, stubborn man.

Dare To Dream
Welcome to Salvation, North Carolina—where a man who's forgotten what tenderness means meets a woman with nothing to lose. here two endearing lovers will set off on a funny, touching journey of the heart. . .to a place where dreams just might come true.

Where is Heaven?

Monday Poetry

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere they can be quiet, alone, with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes people happy, amidst the simple beauty of Nature."

My friend Andrea posted this beautiful quote by Anne Frank which has inspired me to post the following beautiful poem :o)

Where is Heaven?

Where is Heaven? Is it not

Just a friendly garden plot,

Walled with stone and roofed by sun,

Where the days pass one by one

Not too fast and not too slow,

Looking backward as they go

At the beauties left behind

To transport the pensive mind.

Does not Heaven begin that day

When the eager heart can say,

Surely God is in this place,

I have seen Him face to face

In the loveliness of flowers

In the service of showers,

And His voice has talked to me

In the sunlit apple tree.

Bliss Carman

Sunday Reading: The Inn at Lake Devine

Sunday Reading

We are half way through October, but looking outside you wouldn't think so. The air is soft out in the garden, the autumn sun warming it. This time of the year the loght is beautiful. It's a perfect day to spend the sunday morning reading in the garden, enjoying the sun now she is still here. Soon winter will come, and it will be too cold. Even when wrapped in an electric blanket *Ü*

The Inn at Lake Devine, written by Elinor Lipman

It's 1962 and all across America barriers are collapsing. But when Natalie Marx's mother inquires about summer accommodations in Vermont, she gets the following reply: The Inn at Lake Devine is a family-owned resort, which has been in continuous operation since 1922. Our guests who feel most comfortable here, and return year after year, are Gentiles. For twelve-year-old Natalie, who has a stubborn sense of justice, the words are not a rebuff but an infuriating, irresistible challenge. In this beguiling novel, Elinor Lipman charts her heroine's fixation with a small bastion of genteel anti-Semitism, a fixation that will have wildly unexpected consequences on her romantic life. As Natalie tries to enter the world that has excluded her—and succeeds through the sheerest of accidents—The Inn at Lake Devine becomes a delightful and provocative romantic comedy full of sparkling social mischief.

Personal Reflection: I picked this book up and didn't put it down untill I finished it! I loved it. It was interesting to read about the prejudiced world against Jews, even in the year 1962.

Saturday Shopping

Shop of the week is... Worthington Woodpower! I came across it quite unexpectely, but what a lovely thing to come across. Great gifts (for others and yourself) and great photographs. Here are a few of my favourites things.



http://www.worthingtonwoodpower.co.uk/

Liesel's Ambitions (2)

It's time to turn over a new leaf. I feel it. I feel it in my bones, everywhere. It's time for a change. And not just because this has been one heck of a year, it feel right. I think most important thing is to be independent which means moving to my own place. With bills to pay and no savings left it might not be tomorrow, but at this moment that's where I will work towards. I took the first step and found myself a job. It's part time, so next thing to do is to find a job for in the evening. I'll need planty of money. I think I might make myself more useful as well and start volunteering. I'm 24, so it's about time. When people ask me what do you want to do the first thing that always enters my mind is 'to make a difference' Ü

Love, Liesel

Ugh

Grrr! I don't like myself half of the time! Forgetful, keep putting my foot in my mouth, I'm blunt. Today dad said I chould watch more carefully what I wear! I was wearing a, in my opinion, wintery skirt that's just over my knees and - what was the real problem- tights that look like a lizard skin. Dad thought I looked trashy. Now I'm a virtuous girl who won't be seen in a mini skirt or a tshirt where you can see half her, uhm, curves. So it's awful to hear you look trashy. I'm not angry with dad, he means well. I woke up early this morning to find that teh dog had peed on the carpet. My 'sweet' little sister had already left for college and really "why bother" walking her dog, while her big sister could do it? Wheter it is my dog or not, first thing after getting dressed is too walk the dog. But no, that is too much work for lil sis. She watches all those programs on anmial cruelty on Animal Planet, but meanwhile she let's her own dog suffer <<. Okay so that was the first joy of the day. As always I was late for an appointment and when I arrived there it seemed I had gotten the time wrong. I should have been there half an hour earlier. Thankfully it was quiet so I didn't have to wait too long to see the person I wanted to see. There I was, relieved I made it, that she told me I forgot to bring something. Well didn't forget, I just didn't know. Because I was in a hurry I hadn't been able to take a shower so my hair was greasy and my breath probably smelled because I hadn't brushed my teeth and forgot to bring gum. Ugh, another reason why I don't like myself is because I rant about all these awful things! Makes me feel like a right grumpy old woman.

Travel journals

One of my great passions is travelling. This summer my friend Laura and I travelled with backpacks and all for two months from Greece to France. A great and very adventurous journey. I had to buy notebooks on my way to write everything down, but finding this great shop I might just buy one of their neat travel journals and write about our travels in there. Heck! I would just buy one so I can admire the cover all day long :p

Roger la Borde

Wanderings

Inside the 'En Route' Travel Journey

Charlie & Lola

They have beautiful gardening journals as well! Like this one that reminds me of Gemma Ü

All from PaperNation.co.uk

If No One Ever Marries Me

Poetry Monday

If no one ever marries me-
And I don't see why the should,
For nurse says I'm not pretty,
And I'm seldom very good-

If no one ever marries me
I shan't mind very much,
I shall buy a little squirrel in a cage
And a little rabbit-hutch;

I shall have a cottage near a wood,
And a pony all my own,
And a little lamb, quite clean and tame,
That I can take to town.

And when I'm getting really old-
At twenty-eight or nine-
I shall buy a little orphan-girl
And bring her up as mine.

Written by Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Graphic of girl with rabbit from http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

Sunday Reading: The Boy in the Stripes Pajamas

It's cloudy outside making everything look somber. Standing in the garden with the wind waving my skirt up in the air, it feels like rain. I love the rain, but today I prefer to stay inside to snuggle up on the sofa with a good book.

What is more perfect then unplanned sunday. Perfect for you to read 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' by John Boyne

What I wrote to my friend Lulu last year:
You MUST read this book. I insist! I was browsing through the bookstore at the airport this morning when I saw this book. Now only mere hours ago, I have already read three quarters. What's it about? Your guess is as good as mine when I bought it. The author says the following "This story is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some clues about the book on the jacket, but in this case we think that would spoil the reading of the book. We think it's important that you start to read it without knowing what it is about." Isn't that intruging?!

A few hours later:

WOW!

I finished it. I read it in one day. I've never read a book in one day before! I had goosebumps throughout the book. You really must read it Louise!

Lovely Bag

I came across these great bags at Dayspring. I love the colours and the simplicity.

The verse says: You fill me with joy in Your presence. Psalm 16:11 NIV


The verse says: The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3 NIV

Liesel's Ambitions

My ambitions. Sounds pretty serious doesn't it? And I guess to make them true that is what I will have to be for a change. Uh oh *g* Before I tell you what they are let me first tell you a true story. It's true because it happened to me and my family. Made me think differently. Well here it goes!

Two years ago my cousin Dennis was diagnosed with cancer. It was in a very advanced stage and it didn't look good. It gives me the chills just thinking about it now. He was a strong man, good hearted and a terrific sense of humour and it's heart wrenching to see someone shrivel up because of cancer. Thank goodness he never lost his sense of humour. He died at the age of 30. It makes you realise that we don't live forever. We don't know what's waiting for us tomorrow. I wrote down a list with on top in capitals 'now is the time'. Don't wait for tomorrow it might not be there. Chase your dreams today before it's too late to chase them. It's a comfort to know that Dennis lived every single day of his life to the fullest. Right up to the end. Thanks to him I did I bee keeping course I wanted to do for so long but kept postponing. That's why I went travelling for two months because I could. I might be married next year, pregnant and I wouldn't have been able to do it. Who knows what the future brings.

Things didn't get much better. This spring my two nan's passed away. A month later my much beloved dog. She passed away while I was in Rome. I literally broke down. Here I am crying just writing this :'( I miss them so much I ache.

Losing so many loved ones makes you try to see the why? This is my probably crazy reasoning:
Dad has practically moved in with his girlfriend, mum is in a serious relationship as is my sister. There don't seem to be any ties left to hold me down here. Nan Adriana missed me if she hadn't seen me for a day, so let alone me being away for weeks, and with my dreams of living in England she would have been heartbroken plus I would constantly have been worried about my nan's health's. No one 'needs, depends' on me any more I was thinking.. perhaps this God's plan. God saying to spread my wings and fly. He has set me free. I rather have my loved ones back but there we are. I am being very silly?

Liesel