Friday the 13th...

Yup, it's Friday the 13th again! I know lots of people aren't very happy with this, and would rather stay at home or something ;) Silly superstition! For me Friday the 13th is a lucky day really! A few years ago I had my beautiful tattoo done on that day. And today the dentist was gonna pull a premolar.

I hate dentists! I hate people poking in my face and on my head! But I have to admit: it was waaaaaay less horrible than I thought it would be! I was the most scared for the anesthesia but that really was a piece of cake and of course I didn't feel a thing when the dentist pulled the tooth. So again: Friday LUCKY 13th :)

Last Monday we had a family gathering at my aunt's house, in memory of mom. She would have had her 70th birthday on Tuesday. Everybody except my kids were there, son had to work and daughter and granddaughter couldn't come, too fussy for Layla. My aunt had the event catered, lovely food :) Even my aunt from California was on Skype for a bit, was so good to see her too.I stayed a bit longer so I could have a talk with aunt.

But I celebrated mom the way I did last year: on her birthday I ate white asparagus with ham, eggs and butter sauce, mom's favourite meal! And I know this may sound harsh but I am glad mom didn't have to live to be 70. We really lost her when she lost her voice but the last few months of her life were really hell. She started the New Year in the best way possible!

2 more weeks and I'll be on my way to Chicago! I am super excited, can hardly wait to be there with my dearest Dan...I have all the declarations for customs ready, tickets printed, dollars ordered...All I have to do now is pack my suitcases (that's gonna take quite a while ;) ) and order a cab. Oh and pay online for my 2nd suitcase :p 

The weather in Chicago is 'jumping' up and down. Hot, cold, wet, dry...Good thing I already decided to take 2 suitcases (and leave a lot of stuff there) because I am probably gonna need it! Summer clothes and cardigans I guess :D You'll see, somehow it'll be just HOT again, like every time I visited Chicago. And if it's cold, I'll just have to ask Dan to keep me warm :D

Well, don't know anything else to tell you! Just have a very Happy Friday the 13th!

Hugz and cya soon,

Anna

Spring is in the air...a day early ;)

Today I read the astronomical spring has officially started. Something about the sun over the Equator :p Don't ask me please, I read stuff like that and it immediately leaves my brain, haha! Dan told me that they're having a really HOT spring in Chicago, temperatures have been in the 80's F there lately, close to 30C! While here we're dabbling in the lower 50's F and sometimes we go a teensy bit over 60F, 10-17C. I really hope that doesn't mean it is gonna be that hot overthere when I plan to visit! But Dan says it's usually kinda cool in May... Well he also said it usually snows in March :p

Remember I told you all I really needed a job so I could have my scooter repaired? I needed new tires and an exhaust and a sparkplug and a new startmotor and a battery... As you all know I didn't find a job STILL but I DID manage to have the scooter fixed ;) Turns out the new battery was all it needed to start again so I saved a bit of money there (no startmotor needed :p) and all the other bits and pieces I got month by month. My son even fitted me a new basket on the back, the old one was falling to pieces! Can't tell you how happy that made me, my scooter is my main means of transport...

I sent in another 2 lessons of the Life Coach course for homework. And now I am at a chapter I am not too happy about, the one about addictions. Luckily the book said right away that life coaches aren't the ones to help addicted people because I soooooo don't want to! I have seen so much addiction in my life that all I wanna do to addicts is kick them in the butt, HARD. I know that is something I may have to work on but in the meantime I am happy that I can just search for some addresses of specialists to send them to. So I have to collect the courage to send in my homework and then start with some 'fun' chapters again, about relationships and families!

Yesterday my son came to visit. He brought dinner ('Kapsalon' or Barber's shop', that is french fries with döner kebab under some melted cheese, topped off with salad greens, cucumber, tomato and onion and drenched in hot sauce and garlic sauce). The portions were HUGE and I (of course) didn't manage to eat all mine but it was deeeeeelicious :) After that we were going to watch some old movies I found, childhood faves. Legend was a big disappointment, man what was that movie slow! Then we put on The Mambo Kings but got a call from Nina in the middle of the movie that one of Evan's highschool friends was on the telly so we had to watch that of course. After that Jackass2 was on so Evan wanted to watch that... Not my cup of tea really but he just couldn't stop laughing...and it's good to see your kid laugh :)

Yesterday during dinner my friend Patrizia called me. She's still in a fight with her employer, she's suffering from burn-out and both her GP and psychologist say she can't go back to work yet but the controlling physician says she can. Told her to go see her doc again today to see what happened with the reports he and the psychologist had to send in and stay strong, make her employer license her and not make him have her go away on her own account! She also had very good news though, she's finally starting her restaurant! It's really close to the one where she works now and it's gonna be called 'La Dolce Vita'! She and her boyfriend managed to get all the money they need together and she'll probably open May 1st :D

She wanted me to be at the opening but I'm in Chicago then... Will visit asap when I'm back of course and I am thinking of having the picture above printed on canvas to give to her :)

And...I just went to get the mail and there was a little package from England! The other day Dan and I were talking about a hematite bracelet my aunt gave me once and I was looking for the healing properties of hematite on the internet when I came across the cutest bracelet ever: all hearts of hematite with silver beads inbetween and a heart and arrow clasp. Cams were on so Dan heard me gasp and wanted the link 'to see it'. Of course he ordered it for me right away!!!! Coincidence? The lady that owns the website/webshop is also an intuitive life coach/Reiki Master. Hmmmm ;)

Well these were some bits and bobs from my life... It ain't much but at least things are happening again and I feel great about it :)

Have a lovely day you all!

Hugs, Anna

I'm gonna be a Life Coach soon!

So I already told you all in my last blog that I am studying to become a life coach... This may come as a surprise for some of you and as not a big surprise for others. 

You know, I have been trying for 2 years now to get some kind of job. I even started studying again and got a diploma and a certificate, the diploma for Medical Office Skills and the certificate for Basic Training Doctor's Assistant. For Doctor's Assistant I'd have to do the practical training too and that involves...drawing blood! Well, ehm...no thank you ever so much :p

I have applied for soooo many jobs, sent out my CV and wonderful application letters. And every single time I got rejected. After a bit you learn to read through the lines what the real reason behind the rejection is, because you can't be discriminated on things like gender and age and such. At least, according to the law... Turns out I am too old, have too little/too much experience, overqualified and so on. And the only job I managed to land I lost because of some 'freak accident': Bell's Palsey.

So -once I was out of my depression- I started thinking. I had to find something I was good at, where my age and life experience coming with it is an advantage, where I could be self employed and maybe even web based... And finally it came to me! Coaching! And in particular: life coaching.

Years ago I used to be the go-to-girl for friends with problems. And my forte was to help them help themselves. Reach their goals. Be a listening ear and when needed, a shoulder to cry on. And all for free of course! What if I could do the same for other people too and get paid for it? And of course, long ago I studied psychology, just didn't finish.

I started doing research, found a course I could do and asked Social Services for help because to tell the truth, I didn't have the money to pay for it laying around somewhere ;) A few weeks after I sent in the letter I got a phonecall from Social Services, telling me that the reintegration budget for this year was mostly finished already. So I could do the course and get some of the money back out of another budget.

Luckily it didn't come to that because I inherited some money from my mom! Of course I am gonna ask the money I can get, back from Social Services (that'll teach them!) but at least I could start studying right away!

The first time I sent in homework my teacher gave me a 7/10. I was rather disappointed until I read that she doesn't like to devaluate grades and a 7 was good and 8/10 excellent and she rarely gave that. Since then I have sent in homework 3 other times and got a 7,5/10, 8/10 and another 8/10! Looks like I am doing something good!

This course also teaches me to set up my own practise. Of course I know a thing or two about setting up your own business but this is a little bit different. I talked to my friend here who has an accountancy firm and she promised to help me and I found a lot of information on the internet too, also for starting a small business in the US. Because that's where I'm gonna go in the end ;)

So, lots to look forward to, studying again -something I love to do!- and finally setting up a business for myself! Oh, it won't be easy for sure and it will take time to be able to generate a full income...although my teacher suggested that, if I plan on being web-based and do web-coaching and e-coaching, I could have clients in the Netherlands too even after I emigrate to the States!

Back to my books now, I have some more homework to send in soon...

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

Hugz, Anna

Hello...I'm back :)

Me and my pretty mom, summer of 1962

A whole lot has happened since my last post here... I left you all with the bad news about that job I finally landed. Well, they never came back to me! And frankly, looking back...I don't really care :p 

The Bell's palsey, the job, the trouble with the emigration, the 'homelessness'...it all got me spiraling into a depression. And I was worried about my mom too, she usually liked to have a chat on Messenger but lately she seemed to avoid me.

Then came the really bad news... In the night of October 23rd-24th mom had a cerebral infarction and a heart infarction. She was paralized on the right side of her body and that left her completely helpless. She always loved to talk and her voice was already taken away from her, and now her right hand- which she used to write and communicate with us- didn't work anymore either.

Of course that added to my depression too, and left me completely numb. I got all kinds of complaints that later proved to be stress related.

Of course in the family we communicated a lot about mom, and soon we all came to the conclusion that she only wanted one thing: to die in peace. Sadly it's not an easy thing to hear, and even harder to help her. But we all understood why she wanted to go and were in peace with it. Things were set in motion to get help for her.

Then came Januari 1st. ... New Year's Day. Late in the evening I got a call from Willem, mom's husband: mom had passed away peacefully, alone. Just like she wanted. Us kids came together at her and Willem's house and we prepared a lovely send off for her. I am sure she watched all of us with a big smile on her face. Instead of mourning her death, we celebrated her life!

Since then, life has taken a new turn for me! 'Strangely' my depression disappeared completely. I asked Social Services permission to start a Life Coach course but got the answer that there wasn't any money in the reintegration budget for that. But we all inherited a little money from mom, as an advance really, and that helped me pay for the course!

And of course I finally had money to book my ticket to Chicago, such a relief I didn't have to ask Dan and Patrizia for it :p I also got some new suitcases and money to buy a nice present for...my lovely granddaughter! I got her a cute gold bracelet with her name engraved in it.

Yes, because Februari 7 my daughter Nina delivered a beautiful baby girl! Her name is Layla and she will be baptised Layla Alessandra Cristina. I wasn't too sure about becoming a grandmother but somehow, after she was born... ;) I am a really proud granny! I have loads and loads of pictures of the little girl and have been to see her a few times already.

Me and little Layla, the day after she was born.

Life goes on... I will be leaving for a 2 week vacation in Chicago on April 27, when I come back I am going to move to Enkhuizen so my son finally gets his house back. In a few months I can start my own practise as a life coach, and I plan to be mainly web based. My vacation is supposed to be the last before my emigration to Chicago, Dan feels like he has to audition ;) Well, as far as I am concerned, he's hired, haha.

So...I am back :D I hope you like it! If you do, leave me some feedback please... ;)

Have a great day you all!

Ok, the sad truth finally came out!

Yesterday I called work  again and asked to speak to Janet. She was in a meeting and I was promised that she would call back later. I waited and waited...to no avail. So I called back today and got her on the phone. And finally she gave me the truth! According to some new law or new policy they have to wait 3 months until they offer a new contract! So they can't offer me one before November 19th!!! I was like...WTF? 

Really, I 'exercised' my ass off to get over the Bell's palsey and in fact would have been ready to work again starting September but then she had the excuse work was slow and I could start again in October. And now this crap :(  I told her I was very disappointed and would have liked to know this earlier so I could actively have searched for another job.

Because that's what I'm gonna do. I found a job opening for Customer Service at a big seed company in Enkhuizen, where Andrea lives and I am gonna apply to that. Might I get the job I'd be killing 2 birds with 1 stone because my son finally gets his appartment back and well, I'd be having a job :')

In the meantime money is really tight since Social Services deducted the little money I made from this month's allowance and my scooter finally decided to...well...kinda die on me. So I had to order the exhaust. Luckily that cost quite a bit less than expected and the shipping and handling was even for free since my order was over a certain amount of Euros.

On a (much) happier note... Dan and I are planning our next vacation. It is supposed to be from April 29th until May 13th 2012. Of course I keep saying to him: IF I have a job because otherwise there is no way in Hell I can even buy me a ticket to the States. But he's being totally positive and even made some reservations already :p I wish I could be as positive as he is...but finding a job is about the hardest thing I have done EVER. Of course the economy and my age aren't helping either.

Last week I put away all my summer clothes for the winter. The weather was really sucky, cold and wet so it seemed a good time to do so. But of course (?) this week the weather is absolutely lovely! We seem to finally get the summer we never had this year :p (Oh wait I keep on forgetting those 2 weeks in April ;) ) Today it's even 26C/79F! And all this week and next week temperatures are gonna be in the 20C/70F's... Oh well, I have some 'wear-through' clothes handy and of course the boxes are only on top of the wardrobes so access is easy enough ;)

Anyway dear readers, I have stuff to do, think up a nice application letter for the Customer Service job and get that on it's way! And I really refuse to let anything of what happened to me bring me down!

So have a great day y'all, speak to you soon again!

Hugz, Anna

Grrrr, still no work!

Called work again today. As I feared Janet had a bit of bad news for me: 2 projects didn't come through so at the moment she doesn't have work for me. She promised she'll call me as soon as things pick up but has no idea yet when that's gonna be... At least October looks good but she's gonna look for something earlier. 'Don't call us, we'll call you' :p

Well at least I get things done about the house now. The weather is really bad here and I am thinking of taking some of my winter clothes out of the boxes and put some of the most summery stuff in. We had such a bad summer that I didn't even use most of my summer clothes!

My scooter needs repairing...and that is mostly why I really want to go back to work: it's just a money thing! I need a new exhaust, a new battery, a new sparkplug and idealy a new backtyre too. Luckily my son and his friend have promised to do the repairs for me, otherwise it would cost me too much really. But still, I need money for the pieces. 

That's my sweet little scooter :) I have a basket on the back, since I use it mostly to go shopping now, I go to work by bus. And even though I have to kickstart it every time I use it, I still love it dearly and couldn't do without it!

So I'll just go on being bored now...damn I was so happy to have found a job after a year and a half! And then the damned Bell's palsey had to hit me :(  I'll just wait patiently I guess...and call Janet every Monday from now on :')

You all have better luck than me ;) See you next time...with better news I hope!

Hugz, Anna

Doctor, doctor...gimme the news...

Yesterday I called work, because I got a rather disturbing letter that I was fired starting August 18th. Luckily my trainer told me they had apparently sent the standard letter and that I can start working again as soon as the doctor says I can and they have a new project for me.

And today I visited the doctor. Well a substitute doctor really but she was pleasantly surprised with the great progress I made. She gave me a tip for my pain medication for the nerve pain too: 1 ibuprofen and 2 paracetamoles 3 times a day, that should work a lot better than just 2 ibuprofens or paracetamoles.

She asked me to come back in 2-4 weeks just to see how it all develops, and to call for an appointment immediately if my condition deteriorates - which isn't really to be expected. So all good news there!

Monday I expect another call from work again and I hope I can start as soon as possible!

Today my kids got called by my sister's son. He has hemachromatosis, a blood disease that causes iron overload. He has to start weekly bloodlettings next week until his iron levels are normal again and he will have to have regular bloodlettings for the rest of his life. He inherited this disease mainly from my dad and probably his dad had a gen for it too, since neither I nor my sister has the disease, we are both only carriers.

Of course my kids were all worried and asked me if they had to be tested for it. Well, Nina is a bit anemic and they found out she has beta thalassemia minor - she got that from her dad :p So she can't even have hemachromatosis. And Evan wanted to know if he has to be tested for either but I told him to wait until he has a girlfriend and he gets her pregnant :p There is such a slim chance for him that he has one of the diseases, he may just be a carrier for both.

So in fact: all is well ;) Have a great day all and see you soon again!

Hugz, Anna