I can just see it now: suddenly there will be loads of things to post about and you won't be able to keep up with me. HA! But I want to document it all and will make sure I keep up with myself, I hope. In one week's time I have so much to tell you!
Let's start with the other woman of the house because IK BEN ZO TROTS OP HAAR (I'm so proud of her) and all the things she can do. And she loves doing it! That's the treat of it.
Astrid had told me she was planning to build a little cabinet/stand for all the contraptions with wires that sit in the corner of the living room: telephone, Internet modem, and emergency call box for this senior complex (a nurse will come to visit us if/when we press the button!). Saturday she did it.
And that was in the morning! Mind you, she works for a cabinet company and is able to get all her wood for free, which is such a wonderful perk. This is just ONE of the cabinets she has made for the apartment. But isn't it so cute! I love that she can do these things that benefit our space and add to the aesthetics!
After that, we took an afternoon train to nearby Dordrecht, half an hour away, to see the Christmas Market and city center. The train was free all day Saturday...something they do from time to time throughout the year to increase ridership. You don't have to ask us twice. Take advantage of it when you can. DUH! But Dordrecht is another post altogether. As is the buying of our first Christmas tree which we did before the cabinet was made...and now waits for my Christmas box in the TruckPacks that we plan to pick up at the end of this week.
Today I wanted to introduce you to the handy woman who adds a big spark to my life! When was the last time I said it doesn't take much to make me happy! :)
Ginnie - you are just too cute! I love the handy box. We need to do the same thing but we have like 3 times the amount of things like that so we need an even better system...
ReplyDeleteGreat intro to that handy woman of yours. ;-)
Oh my goodness, what can Astrid not do?
ReplyDeleteET: Whatever size we need is the size she can build, Jen. :) Since the apartment is small, we try to size things accordingly. And yes, she really is handy. Between the two of us, we can make the world go 'round! :D
ReplyDeletePC: I'm not sure there's much of anything she cannot do, Maria, to be honest. She can even whistle. :D
What a lovely little cabinet. So perfect for the purpose!
ReplyDeleteHi Ginnie,it's been a while since I have visited your blogs.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your Dear Astrid and I have some things in common.
And I bet she appreciates the beauty inherent in 'raw' wood as much as I do.
Well I saw your comment on your sister Ruthie's blog "I have often thought to myself, Ruth, that there would be very little for anyone to say at my funeral..."
Ruth had said that she felt that her life was so 'ordinary' and then you made your comment and I got a strong urge to respond.
While I only know y'all through your blogs,especially Don and Ruth,I know that I could fill quite a few pages if I were to begin writing about how special I think your lives have been.
Peace be with you Ginnie,
carl
Wow, I'm surprised to see Carl, and his lovely comment! I didn't realize he visited your blogs, maybe starting back in the photoblog days? How sweet!
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of sweet, that Astrid is something else. Your lovely home is just going to keep getting better, thank you for showing us.
And I agree with Carl that what you said about the funeral stung me too, dear sister. :( I love you.
Karen: It IS perfect for the purpose, which is why it's so cute to me. :)
ReplyDeleteCarl h: Every time I see your name I think immediately of my dad, Carl Hart. For the longest time when I saw you on Ruth's blog, I thought you were Carl Holwerda, brother of Jim who was the pastor of our church after Dad. It was so strange to find you were someone totally different altogether. But here you are again, and thanks for stopping by. Both Astrid AND my dad loved the beauty of raw wood, especially oak. It was also passed on to me, so that's a very nice "bridge" I have with Astrid.
You are very kind, of course, to say what you have said about me, Ruth and Don. We never see ourselves the way others see us, do we? Somehow we use different measuring sticks on ourselves, I guess. However, I CAN say that I know I'm a strong woman (whatever that means) and can go the distance. And that brings a good smile to my face. :)
Ruth: This was a fluke, I think, that Carl visited here...after seeing my comment on your site. Please see my reply to him up above and you'll see that I do have a smile on my face. If anyone can say anything at my funeral, they can say I'm a strong woman! HA! What else is important...except for tender, loving kindness! And lots of gratitude! :)
That Astrid thrills me to no end. Talk about a tender heart within a very strong and tough woman. And I thought I had been through a lot in my life!
You were talking about the train and those free days of riding when you said, "Take advantage of it when you can". But isn't that just the way of life? Some days, some moments, are simply "there", free for the taking.
ReplyDeleteWe need to take advantage of them when we can - as you so clearly know!
Sorry I haven't been around that much lately, but I can see or read - between the line - that Ginnie is having a great time. I am sooooo happy for you!
ReplyDeleteYou deserve a handy man, happiness, a woman who add spark and joy in your life :-)
I was looking at your tender dates and could taste them with my eyes. But in Holland (like in Belgium) what I like very much is the chocolate. When we went there we also ate a lot of “croquettes”. I never found them anywhere else, or that tasty. Do they still sell these? Now about the cabinet – I am in awe – I can barely hold a hammer without smashing my finger. It is a lovely piece.
ReplyDeleteSA: You are so right, Linda, about how much is at our fingertips, free for the taking. If only we had eyes to see and ears to hear! Thanks for that comment.
ReplyDeleteRenny: Thank you, dear sir! You know how long I have waited for this. It's my Christmas gift this year!
Vagabond: Oh yes...chocolate, croquettes. Yes, both are here a-plenty. And tons of all kinds of anise/liquorice, one of my favorites. I had a new thing this Christmas since coming here and that's a cinnamon stick that's NOT a hard candy but a chalky kind that melts in your mouth. OMG!
You realy made my day with this post, I wanted to be a cabinet maker since I was 8 or 9 years old, by the age of 16 I did want to go to a special school for that trade...no girls allowed....for me the circle is round now, I work with cabinet makers, I do love all the wood I work with.
ReplyDeleteI will never stop building my own cabinets, small and some bigger ones.
You wanted to be a cabinet maker for so long and now look at you, Astrid! Ik ben zo trots op jou!
ReplyDelete