Laane on the World

unconscious mutterings

2008-05-11T22:40:00.003+02:00

may 11 2008

Track :: iceskating

Snake :: ugh... go away!

Assignment :: give me a good one. Well paid. I need some work this week.

Blockbuster :: not for me. I/m a real blogger!!

Bombastic :: pedantic

Adventure :: send me to the Amazonas

First time :: ever I saw your face.

Aged :: old

Grip :: get a grip!

Shortcut :: the easy way.

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I vowed to go back to Brussels.

2008-05-11T22:15:00.005+02:00

may 11 2008

It has been another beautiful day.
The girls went to wave out a friend who took a flight to Cyprus.

They love to be at the airport.We all joked that there was no need to go away, as the temperatures are about the same at the moment.

Oh, how I wish I could go somewhere cooler.
An online friend in Sweden invited me over. So sweet.

She even told me where to look for the best travelinformation: the site of DialaFlight at www.dialaflight.com.
She mailed me that I could hire a car at the airport and drive to her house without any problem.
That would be a miracle, as I don't have a driver's license.LOL!

At the site I indulged myself in phantasies about beach holidays, city breaks and spa weekends.
I suddenly remembered a business meeting I've had a long long time ago. It was at Brussels. I vowed to go back there.
Maybe now is the time.

A weekend break to Brussles would be a nice added extra for mother's day.

DialaFlight has a very nice offer for two, and I know just the perfect friend to go with me.
Do you know what I like about DialaFlight?

I can call one of the travelconsultants. They're nice and kind and have such a wonderful way of creating the best stay I can imagine.
One call enables me to book the flight, hotel and a car (my friend has a license).

What a great idea!!

Imagine me up there....

my computer went black

2008-05-11T15:36:00.006+02:00

may 11 2008

I can't believe it: my computer went black.

Twice.

I hope it's the temperature. It's nearly 26 degrees celcius here.
I'm now using a laptop from a friend.
Nice for a little while.

But I was bussy making a graphic for mothersday. Ca't do it with this one.

Well, mothersday is full of surprises.

The children made me breakfast, coffee and peperkoek, and then wanted me to sit on the couch and wait.

I received some very nice presents:
earrings and a pendant...very red
a short blue scarf
a little bureau clock
a little aqua towel
a plastic rose
and ofcourse the lovely poems, spiced up with the funny proof of dyslexia, the drawn hearts and some other sweet DIY.

And I treated myself with a nice plan for my dollshouse 1:12 items.

Am I strange to think that whenever I want to do something for myself, something else goes completely wrong?
I can't do without my computer. It keeps me sane.

Maybe G from B is able to send me what I earned two months ago?
It helps me to find a new computer screen.

Well, I wish everyone a very happy mothersday.

It's summer here, so I maybe I can do something in the garden before we're back to winter or thrown into fall.LOL!

Enjoy Mothersday!!!

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Mom of 6 did it!

2008-05-11T10:51:00.006+02:00

may 11 2008

I did it!!

I made some firm bids on a dollshouse last night, but I still owe my own money, because someone else made a ridiculous bid. Maybe the seller himself with a second acount, because everyone was bidding rather careful and suddenly one bid came in and was skyhigh. So strange.

Well, I started surfing around, got me a glass of cranberry juice and enjoyed the silence of the night.

For a long time I've wanted to do more with the dollshouse items I've collected.
I do have a dollshouse, but it's 1:24.
Most of my items are 1:12 thought. So too large. But they're beautiful.

I've decided to take a bit more effort to start a 1:12 house.

When I can't find a dollshouse I love against a reasonable prize, I can at least start with one room.

I have such lovely dolls:
a real victorian lady
two maids
twinbabies
one pair of parents

I have even a beautiful christal chandelier

A large table with kitchenitems, which can be used for a kitchen or a shop.

Furniture for rooms and a kitchen.

Etc etc.

Instead of the dollshouse I bought a lovely cot and crib. I can use lace to make them victorian. (Even though I doubt if victorians slept under lace. LOL!)
And I bought a tiny silvercolour teaset.

Because I know a few teasets waiting to be bought for a few pennies, I've deccided to start a teaset shop.

I can't wait!!!!!

So I finally made a step towards realising a dream that brightens my phantasy for so many years.

I did it!!!!

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New on my wishlist: (Not all houses, but these I like)

Patricia Villa - gulfriend (EUR 187,79) Item No. Co29116

Mini Palæ - Creme (EUR 228,05) Item No. 29104-9

De Winkel Bouwpakketprijs € 79.50

Rose Cottage Bouwpakket € 85,-

Ann's Shop Artikel Nr.: EM8362 EUR 129.00

shop Artikel Nr.: HM8006

saturday six

2008-05-11T00:55:00.005+02:00

may 11 2008

Saturday Six

1. How many days a week, on average, do you eat breakfast?

7!!

2. If you eat a breakfast that involves actual cooking, what are most likely to prepare for yourself?

We don't have cooked breakfast here.
The only cooked things are teawater and an egg now and then.
Not for me, I have a metabolic disorder that allows no use of eggs.

3. If you eat a breakfast that requires no cooking, what are yu most likely to choose for yourself?

Pperkoek. That's a kind of gingerbread.

4. Take the quiz: What Kind of Cereal Are You?

You Are Granola

You are creative and inventive.

You don't do much the ordinary or normal way.

You like to explore new ideas and lifestyles.

Something isn't for you just because other people do it.

Quick breakfast fixes are definitely not your style.

You're the type most likely to cook yourself an amazing homemade breakfast.

What Kind of Cereal Are You?

5. When you eat pancakes, how many do you typically place in a stack?

When I have to make them for at least 8 people Í don't feel like eating them anymore.
I'm not allowed to eat them either.

6. How do you like your pancakes: with butter/margarine or without, and what flavor of syrup?

With butter? It isn't bread!!

With Jam was OK in the past.

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saturday 9

2008-05-10T22:20:00.003+02:00

may 10 2008

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE ?

1. What is the first thing you notice about a person (that you are attracted to) when you meet them?

Well, when I'm already attracted to the person it's not really a first thing.
So it depends on what I like most about the person, or, when things aren't going well, on the most irritating thing. LOL!

When I meet someone first and he's one of the kind I would wish to fall in love with, it'll be the way he looks at me.

2. What has been your worst illness or injury?

Thanks to a doctor at the hospital (maternity department) who wouldn't believe me that I was not only having after-contractions, but also a strange pain, I ended up at home with a powerful uterine infection. Within two hours I went from a faint pain and the feeling of pending doom to a feeling I was fading away from the world.

Luckily a friend who is a midwife did believe me and came.
And because she trusted me in my medical opinion she also called the doc when she went on her way.
They arrived at the same time.

I remember she started talking to me, to keep me conscious.
The doc didn't even need to do a full examination as the lymph glands were so very large.
He rushed to the pharmacy to get the meds for me himself.

A few years later I was expecting.
But the baby died and I went to hospital to give birth.
When the baby was born I got a massive bleeding.
There was no OR free, so the obstetrician tried to stop it, but couldn't.
I was rushed to theatre anyway.
Outside we had to wait.
Later I was told it was a matter of minutes or I would have died.

3. Have you ever had a secret crush and then told the person? If yes, how did it go?
Yes, I've had a crush, but I've never told it with so many words.
My eyes tell a lot, and that special smile. Ugh. Wish I could control that!

4. What was the last drink that you ordered at a pub or a bar?

Can't remember.
I haven't been in a pub for, I don't know how many, years.

5. What car have you owned that was your favorite?

What is the fascination with cars?
I don't drive and I don't have one.
Tell me: what's the best buy?

6. What is your favorite holiday?

That one has yet to come. LOL!
I want to go to Scotland.

None of the holidays is my favorite, because it always means it's even more bussy and stressfull as ever.

7. Have you ever had sex with someone that in retrospect was (and stayed) a stranger?

No. Or do you mean my husband? In that case: yes.

8. Who is your favorite female singer?

Do you want me to have another go about Kiri te Kanawa?
I love Janice Joplin too.

9. How often do you read the newspaper?

Let's put it this way: I read all the newspapers that end up in the house.
I don't always read them at the same day.

When things go normal I like to clean my room on monday and then I sit down and have a look at the pile of papers. LOL!
I always ease my mind with the fact that I have a friend whose paperpiles are higher. LOL!

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Summertime.......

2008-05-10T21:19:00.003+02:00

may 10 2008

Another far too hot day here.

Spring is skipped, it's full summer.
Even with the window open during the night I kept turning and turning. What a night temperature!!!

I was glad to walk into the garden early in the morning.
It's like I can see everything grow by the minute.

The strawberries are flowering already, the blossoms have disappeared from the appletrees,
the tulips are gone.

Unbelievable!!

I was so caught up with all the saturday chores that i didn't notice my breathing was going worse.

Well, it can only go so much worse untill it's hard work to get some oxygen in.

So I got an asthma attack...
Haven't had one as bad for a couple of years.

Luckily I had my meds downstairs, so I took the maximum once, and a bit more....

In hospitals they go even higher with the dosage, and I had no intention to be at the hospital during mother's day. (Although the food is good then, LOL!)

After some time I could breathe better.. Phew!!!

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Feminists for Clinton or women for women?

2008-05-10T21:00:00.004+02:00

may 10 2008

While Hillary Clinton is trying to invest even more money to lure people into voting for her, and feminists think that Hillary will realise all their dreams (or at least some of them), there are other matters that should catch the attention of these women.

Instead of thinking that women should vote for women, they should care more for people who really need assistance.

Do you know that each minute somewhere on the world a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth?
Isn't it a shame that the majority of those women, blindly claiming that America needs a female president, don't know that in Africa 1 in 22 delivering sisters of them die?

When all these women would start a fight to save these women, maybe they'll better the world in a far better way than that Clinton becomes president.

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Free music, games, TV and more

2008-05-09T23:00:00.001+02:00

may 9 2008

Do you know I've been a singer in a band?
I loved it!!

Since that time I'm asked to review music at times.
With that request I honor the ongoing line of musical talent in my family. We have absolute hearing, meaning that we hear all mistakes, even when they're very minor.
My grandfather travelled the country to do the same what I can do online.

A couple of days ago I was told that a band was about to release two new numbers free for download for the general public.
My friend said I'd better download MP3 Rocket, to make life a lot easier.

It's a program that searches on internet for free downloadable material.

I tried to download the program, but it kept sending me error messages. It drove me nuts!
When I told this to my eldest this morning he got red cheeks and was very eager "to have a look". When I was upstairs getting my bag, he performed a miracle.

So this afternoon I had another try and ... IT WORKS!!!

The program enables free music downloads, free games and moviedownloads.
I only had to type in the name of the band my friend mentioned, and the program searched internet and displayed the files. Downloading went so much faster than usual.

There's no chance to be bored again.

There's a radio to listen to. Just choose one of the over 200 stations, or you can watch TV. More than 200 channnels are available, including the BBC.

MP3 Rocket comes as a free version, and as a premium version.

The free version offers me more than enough.

Like with all file sharing programs the system requires a responsible attitude.
The program is not meant to enable you to download the files for commercial use.

The site gives you lots of information and even a demo.

Have a try... it's well worth it!

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Nice morning shopping

2008-05-09T22:33:00.004+02:00

may 9 2008

I called the dentist early in the morning.
Couldn't get an appointment sooner than next friday!!!!
All I can do now is hope that the rest of the molar won't break off.

Then my oldest and I went to the shopping centre to find him new glasses.
He tried out a lot and ended with one of 299 euro.

So when the woman who helped us left for a moment I told him that he should have another look, as 299 euro is a lot.

When she came back he asked for another look al models that looked the same.
She smiled and told him that she also thought that these glasses were far too expensive.

She handed him a variation on one he already tried, but didn't like.
Now the rim wasn't black, but a nice colour of grey.
When he put it on his whole face seemed to change for the better.

After that we went windowshopping, bought some bread we never have bought before, tasted cheese in a shop and bought a piece, and went home.

We had such a good time!

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I was called by a former collegue

2008-05-09T21:58:00.007+02:00

may 9 2008

Isn't interesting that at times the same subjects pop-up over and over again?

First I was called by a former collegue.
We used to work at a hospital, but that's half a lifetime ago.

It was nice to hear his voice.
Turned out a mutal friend mentioned a while ago that I'd adviced to refer one of his clients to a drug rehab in Malibu.
So he wanted to know which one.

We talked a bit about our children and plans to have a reunion, then it was time for him to leave for an appointment.

A few minutes later a mother called about her autistic son.
The psychiatrist finally decided to stop with Risperdal.
She was worried, because her son was having strange eye movements.

Risperdal isn't addictive, but one can say that the brain gets used to it and needs slow withdrawel to prevent withdrawel effects.
4 says (!!!) was clearly not slow enough for her son.

I was able to refer her to the clinic at the emergence hour, so her son could be checked.

I'm sure the subject of alcohol and drugwithdrawal will turn up the next days too.

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friday's feast

2008-05-09T08:01:00.004+02:00

may 9 2008

Appetizer

When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?

Ofcourse!!
Unless it's a smile from one of the very few people I distrust.
In that case I either ignore the person, or I say: "Oh, Hello", with the sounds of: "Am I wearing your clothes?"

Soup

Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?

Vinyl tiles.
I really need new flooring. Those tiles are 15 years old.
They were bought at Ikea and I've never seen them again.
Such a pity, because I really need tiles.
We can't empty the room, and with tiles one can do one part and move on to the next day.
We've considered laminate, but the boys walk in too much sharp sand...one way or another.

Salad

Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.

Listen, Lovely Lame Laminate lovers!

Main Course

Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?

Oh yes, I have quite some friends who were either adopted themselves or have adopted children.

We also tried to adopt.
There weren't many children available then.

A friend was midwife in Africa, Swasiland, and one day a mother died, and her little girl survived.
Her father, who was chief of a tribe, didn't want her and told her to put her up for adoption.
She knew we had all the paperwork and everything else ready, so she called us and we all started the procedures.

It felt very strange that I knew where her father was, and I knew that in the same tribe some women weren't able to have children. They would have loved to give her a proper home.
So I told my friend to try and talk with the chief, tell him that the spirits have their own way of telling him that things need to be changed.
Maybe this girls was born as his daughter to teach him to change the laws in favor of the tribe and those who belang to the tribe. She was the daughter of a long line of chiefs, she couldn't be given away. There were women in his tribe, ready to feed her and help her become a proper chief's daughter.

Well, he accepted her after all. In a beautiful; ceremony, calling me her second mother.

Well, that's nice, but it took me a long time not to feel sad about this all.
I felt a bond with her, bridging the distance.

Because this went wrong in the eyes of the adoption agency, we were asked if we wanted a "medical problem in Haïti".
So another procedure started.
This time a lovely boy was expected.

But I got pregnant.

When I told it at the next meeting the woman closed the files with a bang..
That was it.
I was 40 and after that it isn't possible to adopt in our country.

Dessert

Name 2 blue things.

My lip care, the bright sky outside.

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Chatter on thursday

2008-05-09T03:29:00.002+02:00

may 9 2008

Nature skipped the rest of spring and brought us a summer-week.
I really had to work in the garden this afternoon. Everything is growing so fast!
The brambles tried to overgrow the rest, so I had to take action.

While 3 loads of laundry dried, I cleaned the floors inside.
Behind my back one of the girls almost fell while she tried to sneak in with the mothersday present.

The girls are spending their vacation very well, LOL!
I'm sure they'll surprise me with home-made presents.

I earned some money last month and thought it would be nice to take them to something special.
But it still hasn't arrived on my paypal... what a disappointment!

We had a nice dinner together.
Tomorrow is the last schoolday for one of the boys. Just a couple of days and then the final exams start.

While I was making plans for tomorrow with the oldest - he needs new glasses - the phone rang.

While I said "hallo", the filling from one of the molars fell out.
Grrr!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I have to go to the dentist tomorrow morning...
I hope he's got a bit of time to fix the molar.

Like many people I don't like to go to the dentist, but I don't feel as bad with this dentist than with the ones before.
This one is very nice and caring, and he loves his job.

Well, I hope I can go to the shopping centre after the visit to the dentist, to find my son new glasses.
Keep your fingers crossed I won't look like a droopy drunk old lady. LOL!!

a choice for a full time or part time study

2008-05-08T20:22:00.003+02:00

May 8 2008

We had a good meeting yesterday morning.

I was almost too late for the appointment, because the busses were not going to town.
Just when I decided to take the train and phone that I would be too late, the buss came.

I had to run from the busstop, which was no fun, as this nice weather is bad for my asthma.

The building is very new, and extremely modern.
I felt like being in a science fiction environment. Very nice, untill we were near the classrooms.
Someone who doesn't know how distracting open windows are, decided that see through photos on the windows to the corridors and hallways were wonderful.

My son immediately said that this school is the worst environment for an ADHD'er.
There's nowhere a room which has four walls and gives the feel of focussing on your work.

The woman we met was very nice and kind. She complimented him with his decision, to apply for a job and go to school one day.
I was a bit more hesitant, because I knew he made this decision while walking to the meeting.

Interesting for me was that she told the school has had many problems with my son's present school, which is also the school of my autistic son. That says it all, doesn't it?

Well, I know now that I'll have a hard job lying in front of me: getting a positive evaluation of my son from his present school.

Well, the woman said that he'd better make a save choice. He'd better not confront himself with too many difficulties, considering the fact that he has ADHD and is dyslectic.

I can't quite agree.
It's easy to take it easy. And he sure will succeed.
But on the other hand: he has always taken matters very serious. Wasn't afraid of a struggle to get things done.

Working 4 days and going to school one day, means his education is limited to that one shop.
When he goes to the fulltime school course, he will have weeks in between where he works at all sorts of shops, and he'll be able to find out what he likes and doesn't like. He opens up his future far more.

After we spend more than an hour talking, we went to the informationcentre for some booklets.
The woman there had a talk with us too, and she said exactly what I thought.

So instead of applying for a place there, he has to make a choice.

In the evening we had a long talk.

When he goes for the easy route: 4 days work and one day school, he'll work 4 years for minimal wages. The shop can even force him to sign a contract that he stays for 5 years after he's graduated. But a pro is that his studies will be paid for.

When he goes for the other route, he's going to school all week, he has to apply for a grant to pay for his studies, but when he is successfull there's no need to pay it back.
He can work a day in the week at the shop, and when they want to up his wages, there's no problem.
Every so many weeks there are two weeks or more of practical work at all sorts of different shops, so his education is very broad.

When the choice was mine I'd choose for the last.

And you?

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Fighting body-weight and finding improvement of acne and wrinkles.

2008-05-08T03:45:00.003+02:00

may 8 2008

Loosing weight is a real challenge.
My experience is that all those wonderdiets only create more problems after a while.

I know quite some people who eat far more healthy than their ancestors, exercise regularly, and still weight more than the earlier generations.

So maybe our ancestors used certain ingredients more than we do.
Following this chain of thought some people took a close look and made a list of 10 ingredients which are known for their healthy influence.
They bundled these working elements in a pill.
Barley, Acai,Cayenne Pepper, Buckweat, flaxseed and some other ingredients are all part of: Orovo.

When people started using the pill they experienced not only weightloss, but also discovered a tremendous improvement of their acne, and even of their wrinkles.
Isn't this a great and welcome extra?

I wonder if anyone of my readers has experience with this product?

Let's link and drop like unique individuals

2008-05-07T23:42:00.005+02:00

may 7 2008

Today:
The What-DOESN'T-Work-For-Me edition

Recently I joined entrecard. It's a system that gives me the opportunity to visit sites and let know I'm there.
In return I get a visit back and points which allow me to buy a bit of advertising space on a blog or even some special presents, like design, a recipe.

There are more visitor-exchange systems that work almost the same.

I've also joined some sponsored blogging sites, including the newest one I recently blogged about.
The new system registers how people reach the blogs. Entrecard and some other systems are monitored.
So I assume they're looking for unique visitors.

Those link exchange and dropping systems don't work for me, and in the end they don't work for you.

My guess is that it's important to create a linkexchange/dropping system that isn't monitored by the big guys.

When you want to participate, just let me know.

I'm thinking about a good system which takes just a little time, but gives you unique visitors. Those that really count.
Those that are really interested.

So I want only personal sponsored blogging blogs, no blogs that overflow with advertisements and have no interesting content.

Give me a comment and tell me (where I can find) your emailaddress, so I can mail you the details.

Let's make a good working team!

Because the excisting systems won't work for us in the end.

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A new day... a new future for my son

2008-05-07T09:40:00.002+02:00

may 7 2008

Everything feels and looks like it's summer.
I even had the window open all night without feeling cold for a minute.

I'm waiting for one of my sons to leave the shower and hop in myself.

He takes so much time I think I have to walk straight from the shower to the busses to be in time for an appopintment.
Don't worry, I'll dress first.

Just a thin cotton long dress with a matching thin blouse/jacket on it.

He's decided to take his future into retailing.

Last year he started working in a job, just to get some money, and it turned out one of the best decisions of his life.
He loves working there, and he seeks responsibility.

So I phoned a college in town and we're going to have a talk there about which subjects he needs to take and which support he can get.
He's severely dyslectic.

He can do without support.
The lack of, has made him find out all sorts of compensation mechanisms.
But after all the bad expereinces he's had at the school he is now, he deserves a good start at the next educational level.

Do I hear the shower has stopped without me calling over and over and over again?

Yep!!!
Wow!!!

I'm off!!!!

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SocialSpark for me too?

2008-05-06T23:58:00.007+02:00

may 6 2008

After the disastrous effects of the actions of Google against PayPerPost bloggers: lowering their PageRank to an absolute zero, and thus taking away their opportunities to earn a certain income, a new system needed to be developed.

So after the Izearanking, SocialSpark is born.

First we had to change our blogs in such a way that all links could be followed, now the system is back to what we wanted then: no-follow links.

It's what I suggested after Google took my income, and what was put aside as impossible.

Isn't life and sponsored blogging surprising?

I took the plunge and registered, welcomes in with the promise that SocialSpark wants 100% no-foloow, 100% transparancy, 100% disclosure and 100% real opinions.

I had to shut off the sound of the computer, because a spoken add with a very irritating music on the background tried to inform me how SocialSpark works and tried to imprint the name in my brain.

Well, I've set up my profile.
It's not completely finished yet, but I'll do that after submitting this post.
It's a pity I can't display all I want.
I've done three studies, to be precise, but there's only room for one.

I for myself think it's painful to have displayed that I'm a proud parent.
With 4 disabled children parenting, and the fighting I have to do on an almost daily basis, I can't consider myself a proud parent.
Call me an idealist, I'm OK. Call me a critical parent, I'm even more OK.

To me, sponsored blogging is a way to realise some extra income so I can give the children what they need and maybe realise a little or a bit larger dream along the way.
I don't think people need to know a lot about me to advertise at my blog.
It's my blog that counts.

So all the toodoo about friends is absolutely NOT necessary.

It makes me ask myself if I really need friends at SocialSpark.
How can I be a friend to someone else? Being a friend means more than a tiny avatar in my profilesection.
A friend is someone who cares for me as a person, not someone who has a certain page rank and a high clicking ability.

After all the changes that follow each other one after another, I think we need some peace and quiet to do our job: write a blog that is original, entertaining and a good place to be.
It's also reaching a diverse audience, and for the advertisers it means an audience that's willing to buy and use services.

I still think that quality posts with a few readers can have a larger impact than a post with lots of bloghoppers.
I'd rather write towaqrds that one woman, who visits her friends at coffeetime, who goes quilting in the afternoon, talks about my blog at the choir. Through her, I can reach far more people who are willing to try a product.

Am I old fashioned? Or am I right again?

We'll see.

Tomorrow I'll take a bit more time to get used to SocialSpark.

Maybe I can finally blog for something special again.

We need a new floor downstairs... I want to visit my online friends.. and I want to start new autism friendly initiatives.

I've been told that when you opt for an opportunity you have to wait a rather long time.
Well, I can't live waiting.
I like PPP, because when you take a task, you know straightaway if you can have it or not, and you can work straightaway.
With my lifestyle, I can't wait, because there's always something happening in my dynamic life.

So a dynamic lifestyle doesn't fit SocialSpark.

I've also heard that when you opt for an opportunity with a certain payment, you can receive far less.
I'm not sure if we're dealing with a legal system here.
How would the team of Izea like it when they expect they monthly paycheck and find out they can't even pay the rent, because they receive only half?

I hope that the system at least offers us, writers, a feature that enables us to see if an advertisers pays what he promises, how much chance there is to be paid less.

Some subjects need quite some research before a good post can be written.
When I'm told I can expect 10 dollar for a post, I don't like to get only half, because I put a 10 dollar effort in.

I hope bloggers are able to withdraw their posts when they find out payment is less than offered in the first place.

Well, let's see what happens.
Want to be my friend at SocialSpark?

Let’s say you have a paper

2008-05-06T23:51:00.011+02:00

may 6 2008

When?

Let’s say you have a big paper and presentation due tonight for grad school. How long ago, or when would you have started on it?

Well, I always started in time.

One of the tricks I've always used was making the subject the most desirable subject on the world.
When I'm interested in a subject, I can remember almost everything about it.

Especially when a presentation needed to be given, I've always liked to know as much about the subject as possible.

Writing the paper is something else.

I hate deadlines.

A subject mellows in my head, takes form, gets a life, and when it's ready I'll write.
A few friends who have a job at a paper envy me, because I write an article and even a whole book just once.
I correct the typing errors and that's it.

I used to write my papers for school and university the same way.

My teachers and professors would be furious hearing that I didn't write anything down for a presentation.
Now even a few keywords on a little paper.

I guess that's why I became one of the youngest lecturers at the university then.

Ofcourse I taught my children the normal way of preparation, outlines, detailes, corrections and the whole lot.

But don't ask me to do that too. LOL!

The files arrived, grrrr.....

2008-05-06T23:51:00.009+02:00

may 6 2008

We asked the council to send us the files they have about my autistic son.

They arrived today.

I haven't read more than the first page.
It's a healthy decision, because my bloodpressure and everything else went over the roof.

In the past, when he was at basic school, we went to the council to talk about the fact that we expected problems at school.
We didn't know what school was able to care for his needs.

Basic school had been a very bad experience.
I was called to school for an emergency at least twice a month. Meaning they called me twice a week.

The schoolyear was a complete horrormovie, with a principal who thought he could calm children with laying his hands on their shoulders and looking them deep in the eyes.
Ha. Do that with autistic children and you'll get a panick attack.

They guy interpreted that as agression...

Well, the representative of the council called him after she had spoken with us, and he told her that we painted a picture that wasn't right.

I can understand he wanted to protect himself and the name of the school, but that he would go as far as that!

So now we understood why we were treated so bad at the meetings of last week and the week before.
They just don't believe us.

Those schools protect themselves and they don't care for the individual pupil.

I have written a reaction to this file, but I'm not sure if I should bother to send it.
On the other hand...it's a legal document and it can be used against us might it come to a courtcase.

Any input will be welcomed!

Save on your phone cards

2008-05-06T21:04:00.004+02:00

april 6 2008

With so many kids going the route of proper puberty, phone cards are a regular item of dispute.

We have the rule that with proper use we pay half, with improper use we pay nothing.

They all can get one card a month, because we have no normal family telephone anymore.
That's far cheaper than kids hanging on the phone all evening and dad paying the bill.

Today it was the day to renew the cards.
I don't know how we landed on the subject, but suddenly we were reviewing our options, and decided to skip the normal route of the local store, buying the cards and handing them out.

We went on internet and found Phone Cards Avenue, offering huge savings on calls over regular providers like AT&T.
They offer phone cards and calling cards for phonecalls all over the world, saving up to 80% on normal cards.

Ofcourse we had to explain a bit when we handed the cards out, but saving on calls means making far more calls for the same amount of money, and now two boys have a girl they want to call all day and night...LOL!

When I told a friend about it she said she already know this service, because her family in Indonesia uses the same phone cards for international calls.
Not only do they save a tremendous amount of money, but they often say that the sound quality of the calls is far better than they experience from normal providers.

At the site you can find a list with countries, country codes and the rate per minute. You have to add the amount of money some countries charge to make the connection, but you'll save a lot of money using the international cards of Phone Cards Avenue.

In case you have questions or in case you encounter a problem, you can always call customers service. Very friendly assistants are ready to help you out, without making you feel stupid. Life support like this is an added axtra that should be valued highly.

Buying a phonecard online is easy and fast.
The system guides you through the proces without any problem, and when I can do it, anyone can!

Freedom Day

2008-05-05T10:14:00.010+02:00

MAY 5 - FREEDOM DAY

May 4: remembrance day
May 5: freedom day

I remember

And I've

learned from the past

that war is no

solution.

And I stand up for freedom

for

each and every citizen of my country

and of the

world.

In The Netherlands we have a logical but unique combination of days: may 4 and 5: remembrance day and freedom day.

On June 6, 1944 in Normandy a huge military operation started to free europe from german occupation.

A huge number of troops landed.
The soldiers came from England, Canada, Australia, America, Poland, The Netherlands and many more european countries.
Young men who had been able to flee to England had joined the forces there to take part in liberating Europe.

Many lost their lives, others made everlasting friends here and returned every year to commemorate the dead at may 4th and celebrate freedom at may 5th.

In September 1944 the allied forces began a huge offensive action against the German occupiers in The Netherlands.
They were joined by the resistance.
Parts of the south were freed, but it took longer to free the complete country.
Many Dutch people suffered from hunger during the winter and some cities sufferent all the problems of being a frontline city. (Including the town where I live.)

On May 5, 1945 the german army surrendered and our country was considered free.
It was unknown at the time that at Texel a group of Georgian soldiers were fighting the german army.
This battle ended two weeks later.

May the 5th is a day of celebrations of freedom all over the country.

The day starts traditionally with the ignition of the "Fires of Freedom".

Yesterday evening the fire was lighted at Wageningen and during the night and the morning of may the 5th the fire will be brought to 80 cities around the country. See here.

Prime Minister Balkenende will light the freedom fire in Rotterdam (Each year a different city) and that's the start of the celebrations.

There is something to do for each agegroup.
Children engage in competitions who have the nicest decorated bike, for instance.
Young people can attend free concerts which are held all over the country.

And parades are held.
We love to celebrate with the veterans, to thank them for our freedom.
Each year many visit our country just for may 4 and 5.

The most known parade was the one at Wageningen.
Prince Bernard was from 1988 - 2004 the Parade Inspector and took the salute. He passed away in December 2004.

The year after Crown-Prince Willem-Alexander, following the wishes of his grandfather, took the salute in Wageningen at the last march-past of veterans, former resistance fighters and troops during the commemoration of the liberation.
The National Committee Commemoration Capitulations 1945 Wageningen organized the event.

It was said that this would be the very last time that the march-past was held in Wageningen. But many Dutch were sure that an event like this would take place this year too.
And they've been right. Even though we want to respect the wishes of Prince Bernard.

The parade isn't the same any more.
It can't be.
Each year less veterans are able to attend, but we keep the memories alive ad we trie to adjust the festivals to the present times.
So it won't be a veterans march-past, but a huge event, with the theme: Freedom can only made together.

At the place where the people gather for the march the historical vehicles will be on display, and there will be many performances, including reenactment of warscenes and freedom events.
There will be lots of information about musea, organisations for a better world. Including Amnesty International, Terres des Hommes and WarChild.

After that the freedomparade, "Vrijheidsdefilé" will start.
It's a modern form of the march-past.
Over 2.000 people, including 1.200 veterans, schoolchildren, students, theatre groups will take part, as will many musicbands.
Part of the parade are also the historical vehicles.
The veterans who can't walk can take part in a fitted setting, and the vehicles also give a good account of historical developments.
But not only Wageningen will celebrate.

Each of the twelve provincesorganise a Liberation Festival.
And many towns have their own events.
Here we have special activities for the children in the artcentre, and concerts for the young people. And I've heard a ballroomevent was planned.

The national day ends with a huge open air concert on the canals of Amsterdam in presence of the Queen.
Traditionally she'll leave in a boat, while thousands of people both on land and on thewater sing "We'll meet again", which was sung in the past by Vera Lynn.

Following freedomday there are some more events on the days after, because veterans appreciate visiting the graves of their warfriends.
Some of them will stay with the families they have stayed in contact with all these years.

Freedom in The Netherlands is a kind of freedom that grants freedom of every aspect of life, without invading the freedom of others.
That means we have freedom of speech, religion, movement, everything.

The last years though, we have experienced changes we don't all agree with.

Pressured by international tendencies some matters are changed.
Like our freedom of movement through the world.
It's so strange to have to tell what we consider private details, ranging from food preference to sexual orientation, when we travel to some countries.

And like almost all other countries we had to deal with influences that try to turn a peaceful society into one where people distrust each other and the focus of attention is more on the negative than on the positive.

Unwise people who want to change the world by use of disrespect and violating the laws of other religions created discontent and troubles between religious groups in society.
Something that was unheard of in The Netherlands.
And ever more: foreigners who have even never been to our country, trying to get themselves in the spot of the media by telling tales about euthanasia, and many other subjects.
It's unbelievable that people from other countries are telling our ministers how to restrict the freedom of speech and religion.

The last years we all had to take the consequences of the trend in the world towards more control.
All people from age 14 on have to carry a passport or other identitycard with us all the time.
Most of us hate it.
It reminds the elderly of the second world war, where our country suffered very badly under the germans.
We wouldn't be Dutch if we wouldn't take this as one more aspect of life to inspire us to be grateful for freedom.

We know there is a country in the world where they say their freedom is
best.
OK, it's best in their country.
But when I see how people are treated who dare to say what they think, I'm not so sure.

I'm over 50 now and have heard so many accounts of the war.
I've learned that there's one very important aspect that makes people really free.

Not the freedom to speak freely,

but the freedom to speak with respect

for all who live on earth.

The freedom

that enables a person

to think whatever comes to mind,

even when the country is oppressed.

It's the freedom to dream of peace

for all people on earth.

Want to read more about remembrance day?
You can do so here, but first rate this post please.

manic monday

2008-05-05T10:05:00.003+02:00

may 5 2008

What name would you want have if you were the opposite sex?

I don't know.
But it should be a superextra name.

Would you share the tooth brush of your spouse/significant other? Why or why not?

I have my own. And some reserves.

What is a song that you love to hate?

Hmmm... I have to think about this one.

I have songs I hate, like the smurfensong, but one "I love to hate"?
Dunno.

Want to take part too?
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Please rate it.

remembrance day

2008-05-04T23:36:00.000+02:00

MAY 4 - REMEMBRANCE DAY

May 4: remembrance day
May 5: freedom day
in The Netherlands

I remember

And I've learned from the past

that war is no solution.

And I stand up for freedom

for each and every citizen of my country

and of the world.

In The Netherlands we have a logical but unique combination of days: may 4 and 5: remembrance day and freedom day.

May the fourth, the day we remember those who died in WW2, and all other warvictims.

The Netherlands was a neutral country, but Hitler didn't care. He wanted to change the world to a better place according to his ideas. So we suffered war from 1940 to 1945. Millions of people were killed.

I can't think of a year that we didn't watch the national broadcast of remembrance day. We always kept our 2 minute silence.

When we married and got children, we heard the discussions about May 4th.
Should our nation keep that day as a day of remembrance, should we stop when we were past 50 years of remembrance?
I pledged I would always keep May 4th as a day to remember those who died.

Things have changed. We not only remember the soldiers who died in WW2. We also remember the civilians. And we also remember those who died in other wars.

May 4th is a day of national mourning.
At all the war-cementries of our countries people gather to pray for the dead.
Children lay flowers on the graves or in front of the crosses.
People gather at statues and monuments.

About sunset...... before 20.00 o'clock there is a huge gathering at The Dam in
Amsterdam, with the Queen present,
And many other people go to the Waalsdorpervlakte.
At 20.00 o'clock there is a 2 minute silence. More than 91% of the people living in our country put their live on hold and keep silent.

We are always at home at that time, and we watch the national broadcast.
When the 2 minute silence is broken by the "Last Post", we switch over from The Dam, to the Waalsdorpervlakte, where a huge bell tolls hours on end, and people walk past the memorial site and lay down their flowers.

As always it moves me,
as the emotions are very real.

Before the Iraq war some people used to say that my generation couldn't understand the true meaning of war.
Maybe they were right.

But not completely.

Because the war has had a huge influence on our country.
We were occupied and our fathers and mothers and grandparents and other familie members all had their own experiences of bombs, demolished houses, killed family members, deported friends, etc.

Well, if you have any interest in what has happened in Iraq with the ordinary people, you know. Because we had it all too.

My mother was attending a school in the centre of our town.
Her sister was ill at home. Then the bombs....... by mistake or not ... struck the school. Many children and teachers were killed. My mother was saved, just before the building collapsed. The children who'd survived the bombs and who weren't out of the school, were all killed.

This has traumatized her. At times she hated the baker who saved her, took her to his shop, gave her something to drink and brought her home.

Her mother, sister and she always kept pieces of a bombshell.
Her home was hit, partly destroyed, she and her sister were wounded by the pieces of shells.
In the middle of the shopping centre of our town, near the place the school was, there is a little "parc". It's only a few metres wide. Some grass, an old tree and a huge swing.

It is a peacefull, quiet place in a bussy town.
It's the memorial of all those children and teachers who died.

When I walk past the swing, there are always people of my mother's age sitting on the bench......

My grandmom had 7 children.
My grandfather was a teacher and he was an active member of the resistance. He wasn't at home often.
When people asked she always told that he was to sport-activities with one or more of his kids....... none knew that his older children were in the resistance too.

They've done a lot of good. Stole food-cards so the hidden people could have food and couldn't be found to deport them to work in Germany or to the concentration camps. Got to farmers to get milk, so the babies without mothers had milk to drink.

He kept an archive hidden in his house.
One day, the germans were informed that something was going on at my grandmom's house.
So they came to the house and my grandmom couldn't do anything else than opening the door. She was nearly killed of stress, as she knew the archive was at the house, and so was a forbidden radio and sending equipment.

If they would find any of it, it would mean torture, or they would be shot before the eyes of the children and the children would be shot afterwards too.

Luckily one of the boys had seen the germans entering the street, and he managed to follow their movements and warn two of his brothers who were at another room.
They immediately got the radio, archive and other things and put them through the window, above the heads of the germans, on the roof.

If they would have looked up...................

They didn't before it all was on the roof, to be seen by everybody in the street. The germans searched the house, broke quite a few things, messed up, and left........... never looked back.....
phew!!!

Life wasn't easy. At times there wasn't enough food.
They had to go a long way for some potatoes, which had to be smuggled to the house under the clothes. The boys did that, and when German soldiers or traitors approached, they would stand in front of a tree and pee...., so they wouldn't look a second time and see that they were hiding something under their clothes.

Like that they even got a real christmastree out of the woods into the house, so they had a christmascelebration that had some of the old feel.

Yes, they truly ate tulip bulbs.
My grandma could tell about the war for hours on end. About her feelings when my father was disappeared for days before she heard that he'd left the country to join the RAF in England.
Far too young he was!

And then the part of town she lived was heavily bombed..... The only option she felt she had was to flee. Like many other people. She went with 5 or 6 children, one of them had severe asthma (my uncle died at age 32 in her arms when having an asthma attack). She walked for hours on end with them........ she was completely exhausted, but couldn't find food for the children, had to beg for water to have them something to drink. Then she returned......walked the many kilometres back and arrived deep in the night at home.......

At that time none was supposed to be on the streets, so imagine how afraid she's been with the little children, one even being a baby.

She lost many family members during the bombing of february 22, 1944.
The allies (Americans in this case) bombed the shopping centre of our town.......... by accident.........it is said. (Bombergroup 446, 2e bombdivision of the 20st Combat Wing of the 8th American Airforce.)

When I was young she told me about it, often. Then she'd take the photo of her dear sister............

My grandmother told her stories of fear, treason, mistakes, bombing, grief, oppression, pain and everything else so we might understand, and so we might not make the mistake the people then made by believing a leader who (wrongly) was certain he had the right beliefs and could change the world.

She asked me to remember her message and tell it to all who should hear it:

"Let them know

that never ever

a grandchild of me

or a child of them,

or a child thereof,

should go to war.

Because nothing,

nothing at all,

justifies the pain,

the killing,

the hunger.

Nothing justifies

the fear
of innocent children."

© 552003

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unconscious mutterings

2008-05-04T22:19:00.002+02:00

may 4 2008

State :: country

Lively :: vivid

Valet :: I don't know what that means

Traction :: Pull

Official :: lawful

Red hot :: chili peppers

Powder :: chalk

Replies :: answers

Flagrant :: flamboyant

Tweet :: chirp

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