Some shopping....and some cooking!

My ceilings are higher than in a normal house and my bathroom is tiled from floor to ceiling. I don't have a stepladder but I do have ventilation finally. And so my bathroom walls are rather...dirty. I washed them often as high as I could reach of course but the difference started showing :p

So, what to do? I tried with my mop but to no avail. I needed something to wash and it had to have a telescopic handle so I could reach all the way to the top. Something for windows, or floors.

Only one solution: I had to go to the Action! Here in the Netherlands Action is a cheap...warehouse. I go there when I am in dire need of retail therapy because I know whatever I do , I get out of there with loads of stuff for hardly any money!

And oh, oh, oh...did I have fun there today ;) I found  a cleaning tool that might do the trick and otherwise I can use it for my floors. It's bright pink. I also found a pink soup bowl with polkadots and a matching plate. (Oh did I ever tell ya I collect bowls? :p ). And a sewing necessaire. And a pink flyswatter. And pink wash cloths. And...Well to make a long story short: I left with 3 bags and €17 lighter.

Now I also had a lot of chicken to cook today. One recipe I found online a few days ago was Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken. It looked amazing on the photo and I love lemon, and garlic ànd I found a cheap chicken the other day at the supermarket. And the other thing was Ajam Pedis, Indonesian spicy chicken, was gonna do that to put in the fridge because that'll taste better after a day or 2.

Of course I should have put the chicken in the crockpot before I left for the Action, it needed 4 hours on high after all. But I'm stubborn! So I did it after I came home (at 5 o'clock). Cut the garlic bulbs in two and 2 lemons and put them on the bottom, stuffed the chicken after seasoning it inside and out with another garlic  bulb and half a lemon, and the rest of that lemon got on top, sliced. Lid on, crockpot on high, timer on 4 hours.

In the meantime I made the Ajam Pedis and since I had one chicken breast left and was a little hungry, I breaded and panfried it. And four hours are LONG so I got to hang my laundry, decide if I wanted to do some more today (nah) do all the dishes, re-arrange my kitchen drawer and watch some episodes of Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll. (really nice series!)

When I went to check the chicken after 4 hours it wasn't done yet so I put it on low while I took my daily nap (so I can chat with Dan all night). When I took it out, it broke, LOL. But it was deliciously moist and tasty so I might give it another try. Unless I find an oven first!

So have a nice day and cook and clean safely,
Hugz, Anna

Appointment in hospital...EARLY!

You all know I'm diabetic right? Flexible regime, 4 injections of insuline a day. And it's been like that for almost 20 years now. 

Unlucky for me, diabetes usually comes with all kinds of complications. And so I am having my blood tested several times a year, have pills to lower my cholesterol, pills to manage my blood pressure (3 different ones!!!) and I get all kinds of exams...feet, eyes, the works.

So today I had to come back at the eyedoctor in our hospital. They have been looking at my eyes for a while now but thought they saw what they didn't wanna see so I got an appointment for a fluorescence angiography. That's when they make pics of your eyes while you're injected with contrast fluid.

I was a little bit ticked off because I had to be in hospital half an hour before the appointment for eyedrops. And the appointments could only be in the morning. So that meant I had to get up 2 hours before that, because I simply hàd to have breakfast, nausea was predicted. 08:30 in the friggin' morning!

Well, eyedrops went ok, test went ok too and the doctor said that I could go home if I felt allright. Man, you shoulda seen me RUN! Yes I felt nauseaus but you think I was gonna tell them? No way José!

Luckily I had my sunglasses on because the bright light was ehm, bright. Of course we had a lovely sunny day today! I went home for my daily standing appointment with Dan...and my house is a little bit darker and cool.

But damn! I couldn't see right! But I looked damned sexy with my big black pupils, pity no one could see it ;) After Dan went to work I had to go do some shopping. Went ok but oh the light! Really! Did it absolutely HAVE to be so sunny today?

When I got home I went for a nap...the early hour rise and the not working eyes took their toll. And so I didn't get to cook what I wanted to but I had some delicious medium rare steak burgers (home made on cheese onion buns) and Tom Kha Kai soup. Cant say that was totally home made but my fave supermarket puts noodles and fresh veggies and chicken in a container with a little packet of flavoring and all you have to do at home is add some boiling water. Usually I think that's too expensive but today with the eye exam I could do with some extra pampering ;)  ( Oh and it was 35% off LOL). For extra vitamins I had some Innocent Tropical Fruit Juice, that was on offer also: buy one get one free.

So that means tomorrow I will have to do some serious cooking because I have a pack of chicken breast and a whole chicken and they both expire tomorrow! Already picked the recipes though so that's gonna be ok :D 

Take good care of yourselves all!

Hugz, Anna

Not really different but...

Today I am f***ing proud of myself! I am finally at the end of a long and painful house cleaning project... You know, I had too many clothes. Most of them from when I was still married, nice representative stuff. So in fact all rather timeless and neat...but I had 4 vacuumbags full, an almost exploding wardrobe and dresser oh and a box (that's important, remember the box!). And an old suitcase full of blankies and bedlinnen. All on top of my wardrobe.

Now I have only one body (although a rather big one) and enough clothes to dress a small village. And the main reason I kept holding on to all these clothes was that I was/am afraid I can't buy any more now. Well that's my theory. But OMG something had to go here! And next to the clothes I had a whole box of handbags and a box full of knicknacks...

So I put the bags and the knicknacks up for sale. Just to see what happened. Well I sold one pretty picture frame :p But the rest I could give to a friend! She was really happy with it all. The bags...well I tossed one. (I have a bit of a bags and shoes fetish :p ) The old suitcase I put for sale too and luckily that sold the same day.

But all them clothes...I wanted to get rid of them and making pics and putting them on various websites and having to send them off to people...I knew that was gonna take too long! And I looked for those charity containers you can put clothes in but couldn't find any near where I live. So I Just.Threw.Them.In.The. Trash!!! Yes. 4 whole vacuumbags of clothes. Well almost 5. And now I have room left in my wardrobe and dresser and a box (remember the box?) of winter stuff on top of my wardrobe!

Today I finished folding and hanging everything I had left (and ironed some stuff too) and washed the clothes that had just gotten dirty from hanging in the wardrobe. I put the box on top of the wardrobe and my place looks somewhat like a house again :)  (Instead of like an exploded fashion warehouse.) 

And I have to admit: I feel soooo much lighter! Well, emotionally. I didn't just throw away old clothes but also old emotions, an old life. Good on me!

I had to do something different today though. So for dinner I decided to 'posh up' a new fave dish: the sushi bowl. I looove sushi but am really too lazy to make all them rolls just for myself. So a sushi bowl is, let's say, deconstructed sushi. Sushi rice and all the stuff you put in the rolls. And in my case today that was surimi, avocado, cucumber, nori and sesame seeds. But I added chopped chives and sesame seeds to the rice, I pickled the cucumber, rolled the rice into little balls...made a pretty plate and scattered it with nori and more sesame seeds. And made a picture of it, before I put on the wasabi mayo and soy sauce ;) 

Doesn't it just look nice? Oh and it tasted delicious too! Another thing I am proud of myself for :) 

So, all of you: be proud of YOURself and cya tomorrow!

Hugz, Anna

A little bit different every day!

Today I did one of those 'stupid' quizzes on Facebook. Titled "What would be your perfect job." And my perfect job would be...author! I was like...'ehm...okaaaay' because I don't think that would be a very good job for me really.

And then my friend Joy commented. (I always thought she has the most appropriate name, she knows how to bring joy to the world!) She said I better blog more often then :p WOW! For starters, I didn't know she knew I have a blog and probably reads it too. You know, I don't get that much feedback. For all I know I am blowing my words in the wind, or, as Shirley Valentine* would say: "Hello wall!"

I told Joy that in order to write, I'd need to have a life. Not too interesting for you all to read every day 'I got up, had my caffelatte and toast, fed Nerys, went to the supermarket...' And then she suggested something that made me think. She kinda challenged me to do something a little bit different every day! And write about that. Not to get hung up if I don't make it every single day but still.

A different route to the supermarket. Observe the people I see and invent stories about them. Sew something, sketch, sing a song...

And she is right of course! I don't have to write endless blogs about it, just a short observation every day would be nice. So I'll try! No promises, but I really will try.

So cya tomorrow!

Hugz, Anna

*Shirley Valentine: A rather frustrated housewife (with a husband and daughter) who out of pure boredom talks to her kitchen wall. But then she goes to Greece, without the hubby! Marvellous movie, I have seen it about 184 times already... ;)

Oh wow, it's been almost a year already!

Guess I should really be ashamed :p When I wrote my last blog, Nerys was still in 'the pipeline', and now she has already celebrated her first birthday! I have to say, she has been a big help in making this old garage a home...

My circumstances haven't really changed yet, still no job, still living far from everyone I know except for the few people I know here, like my old neighbor Maaike, my new neighbor Monique and of course my old co-workers Coby and Wies.

I had to fight one of my bigger depressions but the fact that in April-May I have been in Chicago for 3 weeks has been a great help in that! And when I came back I started working slowly but surely on my house.

Found some cheap stuff, like a litte table, an IKEA bookcase from Maaike, a coffeemaker...got a curtain rod so I could finally hang the lace curtains I had lieing around for years (still in the plastic :p ) so that was a start.

 And then I decided to start throwing away stuff! I had a wardrobe full of clothes and 3 big vacuumbags and a big box of clothes on top of it! (Oh and don't forget all the blankies and bedlinnen in my old blue suitcase...)I sold the suitcase and tossed about 4 bags full of clothes... I have some left in my wardrobe and dresser and the one box on top of the wardrobe, the winter stuff.

I can't tell you how good it feels to have so much less stuff! I feel so much lighter! Well, emotionally of course ;) I also tossed some of my handbags and gave most of my nice little knicknacks to Monique, together with a shopping bag full of make up. I sorted out my papers and have just little left to do, some stuff in my kitchen and an old hamper with things to sort out but mostly toss. 

So now I have something that looks like a home, I have a cat, I have some nice friends and my boyfriend is preparing to come to the Netherlands! All happy happy joy joy. Of course there are some less nice things happening in my life too but I choose not to dwell on them and just handle them when it's time.

So, now you know I am still alive ;) And I'm not gonna make any promises I can't or won't keep but I'll try to write a bit more often. Like, I have some ideas I'd like input on! Anyway, see you around...

Live life to the fullest!

Hugz, Anna

No, I'm not made to be single...

Last week my cousin Elaine posted an article from the Huffington Post on Facebook. About being a single woman, 'Divorced and not dating' it's called...here, have a link: Divorced and not dating . I read it, it was interesting, and it got me thinking about my own life.

As you all know, I got divorced about 5 years ago, after a 20+ yr marriage and a 28yr relationship with my first ever boyfriend. And at the time I 'liked' being single. At first I was numb and devastated, after a while I found a job and started to study again, thinking I was really making something of myself.

I didn't really have time to feel alone, I saw my kids regularly and my friends...But then my contract at work didn't get renewed (economic crisis hitting here too) so I didn't have a reason to get out of the house anymore. I was still living at my son's place though and taking care of his cats, with much pleasure!

You know, even if they're cats...they're happy when they see you (and get food or a clean litterbox) and you get cuddles and they need to be cared for...That was a real pleasure!

Somehow I managed to live quite nicely and fly to Chicago every year to visit my new boyfriend. I had to get on my own two feet too, so I moved to live with a girlfriend for a while, all in the north of the country and from there I found a job in the city where I live now. And after a while I found a house there too (well, if you can call it that).

Again I lost my job, after almost a year. And I have to say: I already started to feel lonely. I am in a city where I know only a few people- that are usually busy- and I have no money.

Well Dan said last vacation that I would join him forever in a year, year and a half. Let's say it's gonna be two years (the year that has passed and a year from now). And my kids gave me a kitty! I talked that over with Dan of course and he is all for it, said I can bring her to Chicago when the time comes and everything. So I started my 'Crazy Cat Lady Starter Kit' for little Kira Nerys!

As you can see she gets the best of the best and on the picture I have of her she's 2 weeks old. Next Monday is gonna be the day I will get her...a little kitten to take care of! That is at least something...Because I have found out in the time I was alone to find myself...I was NOT made to be all on my own, I really need people or at least pets to interact with and take care of! Dan says I am taking such good care of him already, hahaha. He has changed a lot. And so have I. In the years after my marriage I have become milder.

So I guess I am more than ready for the next chapter in my life! Starting with a cat....

Have a good day you all, and love the one you're with!

Hugz, Anna

I'm one happy lady!

Yes I am!

I have the wig now and I wear it every day like a good girl, but only when I have to go out. I can put it on without even looking in the mirror...although I always do because I like the new me ;) I even put on make-up and do my nails again. These may sound like little things to you but to me they are BIG.

Looking back, I have been depressed for a long time. And it always went between mildly depressed and severely depressed (that is when I say myself I am depressed :p ) but I feel I am climbing out now, on the way back to...normal?

The day before yesterday I was devastated when I heard about the death of Robin Williams. Seems like he was severely depressed and saw no other way. And I have to say: I could relate! But on the other hand: I have SO MUCH to live for! My kids, my beautiful and funny grandkids, my very sweet and supportive boyfriend...

My kids are tempting me to have a kitten. Sandro's sluttycat has just had her third litter and they are 3 really cute ones: 2 tuxedos and a tortoise. Of course I asked Dan because, well, I AM going to Chicago forever in about a year or so. And he is a dog person as much as I am a cat person :p  I would be bringing my kitty with me of course, so I had to know if that would go well with his dog Loki (a Cairn Terrier mix) but he is totally ok with it! He is even thinking about if he can give me an 'allowance' to feed the cat and take him/her to the vet to be vaccinated and so on. I would train the cat to walk on a leash with all of the travelling we'll be doing in the future. But I have 7or 8 weeks to make a final decision!

I called my aunt yesterday. She was just back from vacation and is celebrating her '25 yrs older than me' birthday next week. She said I would of course be welcome on her birthday but since I want to have a little 'serious' talk we decided I go after that. She said my new hair looks really good, that she's sooo jealous!!! Auntie and I share the same problem so she asked me to tell her all about it and show it to her when I go there.

And that'll be the first real try-out for the wig of course ;)  Over 2 hours train to get there and the same back again and wearing it all day!

I am really excited about going to see my aunt and uncle, they live so far away and the train is really expensive (well maybe not but for someone on my budget it kinda is). But we have such a tiny little family and about half of them live in the States! And my aunt and uncle are such amazing people, you really wouldn't give them their age. I already know that if my aunt would get wind of my wedding date, wild horses couldn't keep her away! Wish I could visit them more often!

A lot of news...well it seemed so to me ;) 

You all have exciting days like I am having!

Hugz, Anna