Running in Holland & Biking with Frodo: The Fellowship with the Seasons

Summer, 2013

“Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a landmine. The landmine is me. After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces together.” 

― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

Late Summer, 2013

“You know, bicycling isn't just a matter of balance," I said. "it's a matter of faith. You can keep upright only by moving forward. You have to have your eyes on the goal, not the ground. I'm going to call that the Bicyclist's Philosophy of Life.” 

― Susan Vreeland

Last weekend, I was still not feeling strong enough to resume my marathon training, and was also not up for the social visits we scheduled during the week.

This is why I stayed at home with oldest daughter (who needs to catch up on finishing school work!) while Mijn Liefste P and the girls went off without us to welcome a new member of the family - more on this, next time,

I went under the duvet after preparing snacks, set up the DVD to watch The Hobbit 1 & 2, and mentally let go of my need to do everything.

"Everything", I feel I should be doing to feel deserving of the good life I feel will be taken away from me, if I don't make myself worthy…

Deep, huh? :)

Digging deep within the recesses of my consciousness is what I have been doing since I started with blogging - first anonymously 9 years ago, and publicly since 4 years - and I think this year before Spring has sprung,  I finally struck "gold".

Nope, this blog is not getting a huge sponsorship*! :D

No. What I gained from blogging, what I considered as "gold", my positive precious are: life balance and quiet contentment.

I've learned after years of what I call as "My Ground Hog Days",  what gives me peace of mind is having acquired the ability to embrace my life with the best, as well as the worst, the moments of serenity with the daily threat of chaos.

In doing what I can (and enjoying what I can!) until I can do better - I easily breathe in life's daily blessing, and exhale out the distractions, which in the end, in the big scope of things , do not truly matter.

The daily biking, running everywhere (!!!)  and taking  thousands of photos to document everything - they all contributed to helping me see life with clarity, and living the lessons learned in the process.

February, 2015

Winter, 2015

The energy I gained from the pursuit of living & documenting  a life outdoors, helped me blog again @ Happy Feet in the Netherlands & The Lightness of Being on the Bike with more enthusiasm.

I feel more liberated, open and natural in my writing because I feel good in my skin, and in turn I find it rewarding in seeing, how it is reflecting in my blogging.

“Writing is the only way I have to explain my own life to myself.” 

― Pat Conroy, My Reading Life

November, 2014

I added a quote to the Google+ enhanced image - it was a picture
(see above this picture)
I took while running in the woods of Hilversum

My family and I have now seen many seasons here in  Holland, and we feel truly at home.

A collage of 2008 and 2011 pictures

A collage of 2009 pictures

January,  2011

2011

Images above clockwise:
upper left corner ~ Summer, 24th of July, 2010 - 17:21
upper right corner ~ Autumn, 30th of October, 2009
lower right corner ~ Spring, 19th of May, 2010 - 08:18
lower left corner ~ Winter, 17th of December, 2009

January 2015

31st of December, 2014

We went through a lot, and we gained strength.  We weathered through the seasons, and flourished. We accepted the changes, and gained wisdom.

Sunrise, one February morning - seen from the backyard  of our cul de sac

February, 2015
Simple life, simple morning
waiting for their ride to school

From here on, I (together with my family!) will embrace the positive possibilities of the present & future with open arms* and lighter being!

___________________________________________________________

*This was never ever my purpose when I began with blogging.  Although I did attempt to give it a try 2 years ago out of curiosity.  

I recognize the same conflicts of emotion I did, when I was working in advertising and media. I seem to alway lose my motivation to write after a while.

It was then I recognize that although the process creatively challenges me, it also stifles me creatively.

At this point in my life, I have other priorities, and accepting this makes blogging for me liberating as opposed to limiting.

I - In Anticipation of...

P came home tonight with narcissus in what looks to be a half-egg shell vase

The entire family is in anticipation of very busy weeks ahead!

Middle daughter is in the midst of preparing herself for her first communion.  Oldest is busy with prepping herself for her bicycle test at school.  P and I are at this very moment organizing, and coordinating our schedules that he may have free days for the coming April/May holidays.

There is of course Easter, Queen's Day, the girls May school break to be spent in Germany, the Liberation day, etc!

In the blogging part of my life, I am in high anticipation of the IComLeavWe April 2011 (see badge on the right side column of this blog page), it will be the first time I will be participating!

BTW, speaking of blogging life, I have not mentioned it like I planned two days ago, but I would  like to thank Deidra Eden-Coppel, writer of the blog A Storybook World, for bestowing this page with the Creative Blog Award, the image of which you can also now see on the upper right corner of this page.

She herself has created this artwork.  If you would like to check out her site dedicated to her work, you can click on this link: Knightess

I truly appreciated the kind gesture and recognition. It brought me feelings of being in gleeful anticipation of what lies ahead for this blog - who might stumble on it, and who it will be able to help without me completely ever being aware of it.  Just like I was helped by my random clicks.

So, what about you friendly folks out there, what are you all in high anticipation of? ☺

F - Fleeting

please click on images for better view of pictures on this post

When you know something in your life is only fleeting, try to find ways to enjoy them with a deeper sense ~ paper

 The story behind the creation of this blog is a long one, but the motivation to be here every single day is all about time, fleeting time.  The project 365~ self-portraits, which is within this 365 blogging project, is also about time, grasping fleeting moments.

My love for the four seasons has given me a better perspective of time.  Why mourn the passing time, and see it as a loss when you can relish the beauty all around you that symbolizes the passing of time?

The more I follow nature, through the different perspectives of  Spring, Summer, Autumn, & Winter the more I let go of my inner tension to want to grasp time.

2 years ago, P took a picture of a tree for me. It was after  an early evening Spring walk to the heather with the family. I have been telling him that week, that  I liked the tree and would like to follow it through the four seasons.  Since it was getting late, and the girls needed to be prepared for school, he went down and took a quick shot of the tree for me.  It was a gesture that made my heart feel warm, and something I will never forget.

Image taken on the 5th of April, 2009 at 6:44 pm

I came to Ankeveen to visit P in the Summer of 2007; two years later in Spring, we decided we will make Netherlands our home.  There are a lot of wonderful things I like about our new home, but what what I love most are the trees that abound everywhere. 

four seasons collage of the trees in front of our window

This year, I am determined to extend my project of following the trees in front of our window through different seasons  (my inspiration!), to include the trees in our region.

It sounds ambitious but like with any other projects I have ongoing, I will go about it one baby step at a time!

Starting with this tree around the corner of our home.

Image taken today, 7th of April at 11:45 am

I have been taking pictures of it (among other trees in the neighbourhood) since Winter,  patiently watching and recording the transformation it is undergoing.

Today  P called just as he got in the car on his way to work to remind me that the tree is losing it's blossoms.

I went with the littlest for her afternoon walk to take what perhaps will be our last shot of the tree still in it's full splendour before the leaves verdantly makes it's appearance.

It was also a lovely opportunity to revisit a Spring Walk that I documented with the littlest around our village last year.  Next time, I will write a blog dedicated to it.

She enjoys it tremendously that she knows every turns and corners of our neighbourhood, and I tremendously enjoy sharing her simple bliss.

Times shared with the littlest in her awe-inspiring wonderment of everything around her is also fleeting.

I feel grateful that I can relish every single moment of it.

Most of all I feel a certain pride, that our girls are learning to appreciate, nature, time, moments with family as how they should be:

Image taken today, 7th of April at 11:50 am

a precious friend.


What is fleeting in your life?Do you grasp it tightly or have you learned to see the beauty of letting go?

Spring!

please click on image for bigger & better view  ☺

What a lovely Spring Tuesday, we all had!☺

Sleepy & Springy

This 365 is once again saved by the P!  Thanks so much for the support my beloved; you truly know how much this project means to me.

I was almost talking myself into giving up prematurely on the 365, telling myself, I have affirmed all there is to affirm in my "new life" here in the Netherlands and that I only have myself to answer to now, which is in itself the purpose of this project - to give myself back a sense of control, which I felt I lost.

Everyone who goes through major changes in life could, I think, identify with this feeling of somehow falling in a hole, like Alice in Wonderland.  One is ready and curious enough for the adventure but in the midst of it one feels disorientation.  In the end you find yourself back to where you were before all the adventure began but with a better understanding of yourself.

One factor for my deep regarding the 365 is that lately I've been experiencing early Spring lethargy, and I would love to shake it off fully before Spring officially begins in 5 days.

Biking daily does help a whole lot, and I am trying to watch what I eat, and when I eat.  I do envy the littlest with the seemingly abundant energy she has almost the entire day!  We started napping together again this week, thinking this will also help me further reach my goal of having more stamina through the day.  Let's see how the week goes!

How do you deal with Spring lethargy?  Or are you one of the lucky ones who does not get affected by the changing of the seasons?

Here once again, a few quoatations to end the day with positive affirmations:

To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.
Buddha

"To the illuminated mind the whole world burns and sparkles with light."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

According to Vedanta, there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications that a transformation is taking place within you toward a higher consciousness. The first symptom is that you stop worrying. Things don’t bother you anymore. You become light hearted and full of joy. The second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities. And this accelerates to the point where you actually experience the miraculous.
Deepak Chopra

Nostalgia

We had a beautiful weather today!

The sky was magnificently blue, the colors of the canals shimmered, and everything seemed to be brighter and happier with the sun shining on them.

please click image for bigger view...sorry for the rushed edit!

I've often said, that I almost never experience Winter blues but do get very nostalgic when the sun shines.  Today, on my way to picking up the girls from school with littlest, I took time to photograph myself with the tree that sheltered P and I when it raine last year in October, during our mini-bike tour.  The girls were having their Autumn school break in Germany at that time, and the littlest joined them.

I felt nostalgic because P and I did not get to spend quality time as we planned last Spring break due to a series of illness in the family.

Well, no need to despair! In two weeks we get to take the missed holiday! We are all looking forward to welcoming Spring together, and it is all the more special when Dada can spend it with us while takig a break from his demanding work.

It is the middle of the week, I hope you enjoyed it and as excited as I am to countdown towards the weekend!

Revisiting Keukenhof: A Tradition

I ♡  Keukenhof!  

Every year I plan, together with the family, to be at the opening of the world's most beautiful Spring Garden.  

Not only because it is around my birthday but it would truly be an unforgettable day to witness.  Alas, we have not managed it yet. We are not giving up though since every year is an opportunity to fulfill this!

We have visited two years in a row now, and this year, our third Keukenhof  year  will be a double treat - to quote the site,

The international flower exhibition has chosen ‘Germany: Land of Poets and Philosophers’ as its central theme...

 The girls will surely feel at home!

Here are some images we took from last year's visit to Keukenhof :

 

Clicking on the images will give you a better view

As I share with you the images of past Spring in late Winter, I would like to leave you with a link that might win you a VIP trip to Holland for Spring this year!

Just be. Ready for Spring.   (link's expired - updated 04.03.12)


If you click on the link, you will learn more details!

Are you ready for Spring?!

Spring is Peeking Around the Corner

Our first narcissus for this year graced our breakfast table this morning, and inspired the day's self-potrait.

I love flowers; jonquil is my birthflower, tulip is my favourite and I could spend a whole day gazing at a field of any kind of flowers....

If we make our goal to live a life of compassion and unconditional love, then the world will indeed become a garden where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow.
~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

What blooms do you like?

Knotwilg - Getting to Know Something Familiar

In a previous post two days ago, entitled, Spring is in the Air! , I mentioned about learning a new Dutch word: knotwilg.  It is called pollard willow in English, which I also learned at the same time I looked up knotwilg.

Not only did I learn a new Dutch word but I finally found out what to call the trees that we have been seeing all around our region, but never took the time until yesterday to ask or find out. 

I promised myself,  after moving here in the Netherlands, I will take time to live consciously, not only pause to be fully aware of life, but write and share what I write about the life I am blessed with, as a sort of daily thanks.  Unlike when I was in Germany where I always thought, there will be time enough to do everything once this or that is settled.

Well, I guess this is how my various 365 projects is helping do - live, pause, write and give thanks.  Simple life. :)

In another previous post, from the 10th of  January, entitled, Biking Along an Ever-Changing Landscape... I shared images of our bike path on our way to school and back.

morning,10th of January

afternoon, 10th of January

Notice the trees at the background of these images?  They are pollard willows.

later afternoon, 25th of January

This image with the eldest  was taken 2 days ago, and you can see on this picture that the pollard willows have been cut.  And so this something familiar is now something I and my family are getting to know or shall I say, we are taking time to get to know better!

We can read together about pollarding, which I looked up tonight, over the weekend, perhaps when the weather is good on a Sunday bike ride.  It is much better to learn with others!

late afternoon, taken 25th of January

What would you like to take time to know better, maybe something familiar?

A Sunny Morning - Carpeing the Diem!

taken today, 10:30 am

On the way out to bike with the littlest, I decided to write the blog for the day as part of slowly transferring my evening activities in the morning in the effort to go earlier to bed.

I never know what I will be blogging for the day; I let myself be inspired mostly with what captures and captivates me during the day.   Sometimes the family will suggest an idea.

Today, the littlest inspired me.

Something simple and everyday thing we do is open the window to our living room to let the fresh air in, and also to gauge the temperature so we could clothe ourselves appropriately before we go out.  Checking the barometer does not work for me somehow because I usually tend to be warmer inside and could usually do with lighter clothing even when others have layers of clothes on them. I don't know if it has something to do with being born in a tropical climate!

I am so excited this year to get more pictures of our region through different seasons.  It will be a long-term project, that I will write and share some other time.  This idea came to me after a while of documenting the view in front of our window in the span of 3 years.

Now off to savour some of the shine the sun is generously beaming in our little corner of the world! How is the weather where you are?

Well, have a nice day whatever the weather is!  Ultimately, it is how you spend the day and not how the weather is that will make it wonderful. :)

Images above clockwise:
upper left corner ~ Summer, 24th of July, 2010 - 17:21
upper right corner ~ Autumn, 30th of October, 2009
lower right corner ~ Spring, 19th of May, 2010 - 08:18
lower left corner ~ Winter, 17th of December, 2009

Sniffing Spring on a Sunday Afternoon

Left and right side of the collage are different perspectives of our new birdhouse

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life.
John Burroughs 

Top left image, was taken last July, 2009 of sparrows on the fence of our balcony; bottom left image was taken this afternoon

Right image of the collage is our birdbath bought Easter 2008/2009

Today, P put up the bird house he had promised the girls a couple of Springs ago.

His work Saturday started late in the aftenoon and ended early Sunday morning.  After a very late brunch, he set off to work on the bird house.  Middle daughter chose it last Friday in Gamma, after P picked her up from school.

We have been planning to prepare our little  balcony to be a corner oasis for us in Spring, Summer, and hopefully a refuge for nature's creatures in Autumn and Winter.  This is a baby step to our family's collective efforts on this project.

Do you have a Spring project?

Please click on the images if you would like to see a bigger version and better resolution; thanks and enjoy!

What's in Store in 2011? Part 1

I still have yet to introduce myself, but I hope you will indulge me if I will skip it once again tonight, and dive into what is in store and will be featured in 2011 in Mooosings.

Actually, I am not feeling entirely well, and I was afraid this afternoon that this project will fizzle out before it even had a chance to take off.  I slept it off a bit, and cried cathartic tears, pulled myself together, and went through our digital album to create a sort of personal social event calendar for this blog.  This activity pulled me out of what I think, in part was the post-holiday blues.

Do you have pictures that highlights each month of the past year(s)?  Do you look through them before the old year ends or at the beginning of the new year?

Perhaps you will take joy, as I did looking back at the year that has passed, and looking forward to an exciting year ahead, with the aid of the pictures.

We might not completely share the same feasts, traditions, holidays and seasons, but we do all share this inexplicable rhythm that keeps us moving forward with different (hopeful) expectations as  months passes and as the year progress.

January

Since we moved here in the Netherlands almost two years ago, we have had luck in witnessing the lakes freeze and be at awe at the people walking and skating on ice.  We learn soon after the first time we participated in the joyous celebration on ice, that it is not a regular occurance .  Nevertheless, we await with excitement in our hearts for it to happen again each Winter.

I am hoping this January, I can share with you a first for me and the family, with us having fun on natural ice this time on skates and no longer on simply soled feet.

Think, and send us cool thoughts, please!

February 

It is curious but I have not found relevant February images, in our archives of pictures online.

Perhaps, I will be more successful when I look in our external hard drive.

But in the spirit of simplifying tonight, I chose the image on the left to represent February (it was taken in July).

I do hope it will serve as my visual aid and motivation to do an early Spring cleaning before this month ends.

The family and I are always striving to have more time together to experience shared interests, than be bogged down by never-ending chores, that piles up the more we would like to have time to attend to it.

We all agree this can only be achieved when we collectively strive for simplicity - simplifying everything we can in our household, in our personal lives.

Life is sweet when it is simple!

March

Ahhh, March! This year the girls and I are marching on towards the second year of living in the Netherlands.

And I march towards my 39th year of existence.  Yes, one more year towards the big 4-0!

Definitely, this month is filled with dates to look forward to, celebrate,  special moments to create and remember.

April

Easter & Queen's Day in the Netherlands, are holidays we still have yet to create a unique family tradition for.

Somehow we are still very much anchored to the practices we were used to in Germany.

This year we have great opportunities to enhance further how we observe Easter - combining Filipino, German and Dutch ways.

I am also hoping this year, we can truly go orange for Queen's day!

It will be a colourful April countdown with Easter Eggs, and Dutch Orange .

That's it for now for the first quarter of the year.