Nena

As my Berlin marathon training gets underway, my thoughts are going more and more towards Germany, my memories of life there and the many German influences, that will forever have it's mark on the person that I am.

Nena is one of them.

Gabriele Susanne Kerner (born 24 March 1960), better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". - Wiki

I was 11 y.o. when I watched "99 Luftballons" on Philippine television.  3 years prior my godmother  married my German uncle and I was one of their flower girls in their wedding.

This afternoon I played the clips to two of the our older girls, one born 1999, and the other 2002; Nena's charm and the song's universal appeal still claims the generation of today.

Middle daughter, 9 y.o. sang to the lyrics and liked it, and unlike me, who did not understand German when I first heard it, she understood (a bit) that the message of the song is about a plea for peace.

M - Music, Before I Go To Sleep

As part of my training for my first Berlin Marathon, I am making an effort to slowly change my sleeping pattern.

Starting tomorrow night, I'll be listening to classical music at least an hour before I sleep.

Four Seasons from Antonio Vivaldi has always been my favourite; it seems apt to begin with this piece because the first movement is Spring, a season of new beginnings.

It's always been a challenge for me to go to bed in a reasonable hour and have a reasonable hours of sleep.  Somehow, I should begin somewhere. This post marks this intention.

What can be more motivating in changing one-self, than the thought of performing miserably for thousands of spectators to see.

Well, I certainly won't let that happen! If the visualisation of a smiling and still running me to the finish line of the capital city of Germany, will help me fall asleep, after listening to classical music, so be it.

It would be a challenging habit to ge used to - going to bed early - but invariably a pleasant sleeping ritual!

What sleeping ritual do you have? Does it involved listening to music?

L - Life in the Netherlands

a four Seasons collage of the image in front of our window done from 2009-2010; it is a collage that never fails to soothe me, whenever I feel rushed by life...

In my Easter Greeting post, I announced that I will be back after the long Easter weekend, on Tuesday with the blogs for F-H.  This decision was a part of my baby step with unplugging.


Well, it's a big surprise to me, that we now have Friday because of how busy the week has been!

I'm late. Very late. But not gone and definitely not giving up on the #atozchallenge.

You might wonder what kept me busy besides our three daughters, and the daily life of a stay at home mom!

After the long family weekend, Tuesday thru Friday simply whooshed by.

If you are also following my running blog, Happy Feet in the Netherlands, you will know that I am preparing for the 38th Berlin Marathon.

You might have also read there, that as part of my preparations, and as a long time dream, I've been meaning to fulfill for my 40th year here on earth: I will be running a marathon in our old home town Hamburg.

Not a full one but as part of a relay team, which I put together with the help of the Amsterdam Running Junkies.

In it's 27th year, Hamburg Marathon will have a marathon relay team participation for the first time in it's history.

Summer, 2011 in front of the Hamburg Rathaus (city hall)

Last night,  I ran together with my team-mates around the Vondelpark twice, and after our shared fun run, we discussed how we will spend the marathon weekend, together in Hamburg.

More about it - detailed accounts with pictures! - at  Happy Feet in the Netherlands.

What kept me also pre-occupied is the Filipino Bloggers Worldwide, a group who has generously supported my bid to be Flying Blue Running's new community blogger.

More about the group here, at My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands, in the coming weeks.

My bike at the Smidsbrug, 's Graveland, January 2011

And on top of all the responsibilities at home, organizing of my first marathon relay team, and networking, I had to park the bike away for days (my daily destressing activity!), while the Littlest was home to recuperate from her stubborn chest cold.

She is better now but still has to stay home today, and rest the whole weekend.

The day before yesterday, I was talking to mijn liefste P, and I told him that I miss the simple joy bird-watching with him, which we did that day.

Wednesday, 11th of April, a day of bird-watching with mijn liefste P

The quote below did not come to me then, but it does in a way summarize what I felt.

Be careful what you set your heart upon - for it will surely be yours.
James A. Baldwin

I guess, this is why I am willing myself not to feel guilty for pausing with the #atozchallenge.  I simply want to have time to let the flurry of all wishes coming true settle down, that I might have a chance to savour them longer than it seems to possible with all of them rushing towards me.

The preparations for the Hamburg marathon, the Berlin marathon, working together with creative, supportive people, and my beautiful & loving family, are all wishes I treasured in my heart.

Now, they are there: the family I long for and am thankful for everyday, and the other dreams I enjoy, and some just within hand-reach.

Taking a day to look out of our front window to watch the changing of the season, and at the back window, to see how our resident blue tits prepare their nest in the bird house we provided, is a way for me to pause, and be receptive to what is being realised in our lives.

Wonderful Spring; new beginnings.  They are wonderful cycles of life.

E- Easter Greetings

Littlest, 4 y.o. has been writing her name multiple times, since liefste P taught her how to; I had to preserve at least one of her efforts for posterity. The drawing on the other hand, is one of my many art-present-after-school from Middle daughter. Together, I thought they would be a nice "Easter Greeting card" for this year.

For this year's long Easter weekend,  I've  decided to share the letters F-H of my #atozchallenge blogs, next week Tuesday.

Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2012

It's a baby step to my  "Unplugging Project", a part of simplifying our lives here in the Netherlands. 

Do come back to find out more about this project, and check out all  bundle of posts from F-H on Tuesdsay! :)

Happy Easter, everyone!

D - Dreams Coming True @ My Daily Mooosings...

January, 2012 passed and I never got the chance to celebrate the first year anniversary of My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands!

When I started this blog, on the first of January, 2011, almost 2 years (March,2009) after we moved in the Netherlands, my purpose was simply to have a place to record impressions of our lives here, and make an effort to fulfill a goal of a year long of blogging/journaling.  Something, I wished I did in Germany.

a collage celebrating my first birthday in the Netherlands & first images of my blogging about life in Holland

Today, I created a collage of races I will be running from the 9th of April to June, in the Netherlands, and the highlight to my running adventure for this year: the Berlin Marathon in September.

Happy Feet in the Netherlands

I can't believe, that I have not only created a collage full of races, I am excited (no longer terrified!) to run, but have also created a blog at the beginning of this year, where I could share all running adventures, impressions, stories and experiences! Hoping in this way I can inspire others, like I was inspired!

Today's post: Destination Berlin

Today's post @ Happy Feet in the Netherlands is about liefste P & I beginning our search for a hotel where we can stay with the family for the Berlin marathon weekend.

I am in the middle of all of the preparations & excitement of a very busy & memorable year.  With this post, I wanted to pause and acknowledge that without this blog (AND the all out support of liefste P & my girls, my family & friends!) I would not have been courageous enough to jump in all the wonderful experience, I have been sharing with all of you out there!

Inspire and be inspired!

C- Children in Front of the Camera

Previous post in this year's A to Z Challenge, made me nostalgic for all the pictures I have already shared here, @ My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands.

Boom(en) told a silent story through the pictures of us with the beloved trees I admire in the background, of how our lives changed, improved and how we slowly adapted to life here in Holland.

2011

Tonight, I am digging in the belly of my this blog page's archive and sharing once again the images I have
posted from our children in the past year. Enjoy! :)

 

B - Boom(en)

Boom is the Dutch word for tree (boomen the plural form; if you clck on the link, you will hear how the Dutch pronounciation is :)).

I love trees, as most of my family, friends, & loyal readers knows.

As evidence, the images below posted previously here, @My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands! :)

They are just some of the trees I am following through the seasons. Hopefully, this year, I can share the rest and more!

Littlest looking out of our window, 2011

February, 2012

2011

  

So proud to have completed the four seasons motive project of "The View in Front of our Window" : begun 30th of October, 2009 completed 24th of July, 2010

In the first few years of my travels with the girls for the holidays here, and finally the year we moved in the Netherlands with mijn liefste P, taking pictures of all the beautiful trees through the seasons has helped me overcome a lot of inner-turmoil, which comes when going through major transitions in life.

It is amazing that trees have been there before my family existed; they are there silently and regally witnesses of the passing of time.  

Most of the trees I have come to admire here in the Netherlands, will all still be there long after I no longer am a memory; it is a humbling thought

For now, I enjoy  their magnificence and the gift of  beauty they let us witness, each and every season. I am delighted that they are a part of the memories I am creating for my family and for myself.  They remind me constantly that time fleets, and we have to capture and focus on the essence of life while we are all still a part of all that is vibrant and living.

2011

2011

Ankeveen

 

February, 2012

2011

2011

2011

March 2012

Ankeveen, February 2012

Almere beach, March 2012