Black eyed Susan

Today I got a nice surprise at work. One of my coworkers had been sick last week and she was back again. I really had missed her so I was very happy to see her! Don't know if she'll agree but I think I can call her a friend ;)

When it was time to go upstairs to work she took me by the hand and led me upstairs, took me to her cubicle. Where she gave me a very pretty plant, a Black Eyed Susan!

Had to go back to my own cubicle with that big plant and got questions and congratulations from many other coworkers. I had it in my cubicle all day and I am sure it brought me luck because I made 10 sales today on the newspapers.

Now it is next to my door. I think I should go to the garden center to buy a pretty pot for it. So even though I don't have a real garden or even any personal outside space, I have my stepdad's little garden (he gave me a big pot planted with pretty pink plants and ivy) and now Susan too :D I can make this work!

It's my party...and I cry if I want to :(

Had a lovely day today. It was my birthday last Tuesday so my kids decided to visit me today to celebrate. It has been since March that I have seen Nina and since Layla's birthday in February that I have seen son-in-law Erik and of course darling little Layla. My son Evan has been here more often, much to my delight.

So they arrived rather early. My house still isn't really a house (hardly any furniture) but at least that gave Layla plenty room to play. And that she did ;)

I was a little bit scared she wouldn't want to come close to me since she hardly knows me but instead she was very open to me. I still say she has her mother's looks and her uncle's character... Such a fun little girl! And Nina is an excellent mama! (And Erik a relaxed dad!)

We took her to the playground across the street and I really can't say who had more fun: Layla or the grown-ups ;) I am so proud of my children! And I love little Layla so much!!!

And then they had to leave again, Layla had to eat and sleep in time and it takes them almost an hour to get home. As always, the visit was way too short. I miss my kids and I miss my granddaughter and I felt so alone again here in this city where I hardly know anyone.

Oh well, let's just say this is good exercise for when I live in Chicago (Dan still says that's gonna happen :p )

You all have a great day and don't forget to say you love the ones you're with!

Hugz, Anna

Guess what, I think I'll be back ;)

It's been almost a year now since I 'quit' this blog. A lot has happened in that time. For instance, I am working again and I have moved closer to work and live in Alkmaar now.

My first 'real' house since the divorce! A little studio but near work, near the city centre, near the shops.
Still feels like camping a bit, don't have much furniture yet but that'll come in time...

I am working as a call center agent again, almost 6 months now. I like the work, I like my collegues and next week we're having a company BBQ.

Dan and I are still 'an item' although things aren't running as smoothly as they could. He's still struggling with his papers. I'm planning to go see him in November this year.

And my coaching practice...haven't done too much about that now, alas. With work and the new city I am living in... Oh well, I did that mostly with the US in mind anyway!

So, I thought about starting to blog again...and here's the first one!

Hugz, Anna

Time to end this blog?

I am working hard. Finishing my studies, just a tiny little bit more to go :p  And then it's time to set up my new Life coaching practice!

I have downloaded forms for the Chamber of Commerce and for the Tax office and am filling them in, as far as I can :s The Tax office wants to know a LOT and since I can't see into the future I have no idea what to put as an answer to many questions :p

So I asked my dear friend Sylvia for help with that :p And soon I will be going to Purmerend, to the Chamber of Commerce to finally officially register my business and to be written in the commercial registry :p Scary shit :p

So I am gonna be a small business owner soon! One without a cent in the bank but I sure hope that'll change soon :p

Well, since I have a new blog and a page on Facebook I am thinking of slowly closing this blog down...I don't think I have many readers anyway so I guess I won't be missed even :p You just let me know!

Have a great day,
Hugz, Anna

HA, I knew it!

It's been a while since my last blog again :p I posted what, 3?  4? in a row. And then nothing! One reason is: I don't do that much. I don't really have an interesting life with interesting things to write about!

But here I am, sitting here blogging after 2 hours of sleep. Since I moved, I don't sleep that well. Must be because my light blocking blind still isn't up yet. And the blinds I do have hardly deserve that name :p 

I totally forgot to tell y'all that I have been to the hospital. Remember my (new) doctor suspected I had a torn rotator cuff? Well...was he wrong! Turns out I have a subcapital humerus fracture, or: the top of my upperarm bone is broken :p The orthopedist was happy to hear I already tried exercising my arm and she sent me to a physiotherapist for the next 6 weeks. Hoping she won't have to operate.

Well I have been to the physiotherapist twice now. It is HELL! but on the other hand, my range of motion is improvingand we're working on regaining the muscle tissue again. Even after 6 weeks or so my left shoulder is looking a bit....droopy. So lots of work to do, I have to exercise every day at home too. But...physio-girl said she doesn't expect an operation to be needed!

And then I am busy with something else. I told you before I am studying to be a life coach and I want to start a mostly web-based practice soon. So I needed a website. Or at least a domain! Thanks to Dan (best boyfriend EVER!) I don't just have a domain now, but also a web hosting package ànd a WordPress blog. 

So I am trying to figure out how that works :p For now it's in Dutch only. But it kinda works, I guess :')  You Matter! coaching , go take a look, I like the theme and the colors a lot myself ;) If you don't speak Dutch, that's all you can see really!I think I will try to add a few pages in English too soon.

And I am studying hard, last few lessons! Oh and thanks to Dan again, I have a printer now. That's a lot of fun too. And very useful!

*Yawn* Yes, I am getting sleepy again ;) Guess I'll try to get a few more hours in!

Have a wonderful day you all!

Hugz, Anna

Shopping spree

So, I finally have money for the first time in months! Well, 2 months :p And of course there was some stuff I really needed,  like a nice big fluffy towel and some more underwear and those Intuition razors so I bought those right away.

But I also needed some shopping therapy ;) I think I told before that I am not much of a shopper. I especially HATE buying clothes or shoes! But I love to go grocery shopping, that really boosts my mood. And sometimes, when I am really sad or like now, when I have been without money for quite a while and then finally have some, I get bitten by the spending bug ;)

Of course I also know that, even if I have money, I can't spend loads and loads of it. I am in fact still kinda poor! So I have learned to be careful on my shopping therapy sessions ;) I usually go to the Action, they have nice and cheap stuff so I can get a big bag full for almost nothing.

Yesterday I asked Andrea for directions and as most things here in town, the Action is quite easy to find. I am getting good at getting around here! But of course, on my way to the Action, I got sidetracked. A shop called 'So Low'! So I went in and found they have even cheaper stuff! And to make things even harder for me, lots of crafting materials too!

 I wasn't really planning on buying anything so I went in without a shopping basket. Big mistake...had to go back to get me one ;) And yes, I got a lot of beads, little boxes, earring hooks, pretty ribbon...and even 4 Betty Boop lighters! Big bag, hardly any money spent, happy girl!

Still, I was going for the Action and so I just had to go there too! This time I got wise and took a shopping trolley. And I started walking around the store...finding nothing to my fancy. So I started walking towards the exit when I finally found...the crafts department! And they had some things I really really NEEDED and couldn't find so far. So yeah, another bag full for hardly any money!

I am soooo happy now! On the way back I sat down outside on the terrace of the restaurant I went for my birthday and had a latte macchiato...sun was shining, I had 2 bags of stuff...what else could a girl want? Mission accomplished!

So now I just put away everything and am thinking about some new projects...something with beads, or greeting cards...*sigh*

Have a wonderful day you all, may you be as happy as I am now ;)

Hugz, Anna

Exciting times...part 3

Yay, I was going to write about my 'adventures' with the Enkhuizen municipality, employment office, Social Services and everything...but I went to empty the mailbox before starting and found a 'good news' letter! My 'dole' application has been accepted so no more worries about money anymore!

I think I have told you all before that I really hate to be dependent on Social Services. As a single woman I only get 50% of the minimum wages, but the worst thing is: I want to work. And I'd do anything, really! I even want to work here in the cookie factory :p (Preferably as cookie taster, hahahaha!)

Oh well, but to start the real story...

Luckily, the day I fell off the stairs, I registered online as inhabitant of Enkhuizen. (That was before my fall of course, when I could still type :p) I also registered online at the employment office UWV in Hoorn, a nearby city. The only place I couldn't register online for was Social Services. One has to register in person at the UWV, they send the application to Social Services and they invite you then for an application for the dole.

So on June 22nd, I had healed enough to be somewhat able to ride my scooter again, I took the train to Hoorn to visit the UWV. Still with my arm in a sling and slightly limping. Had to fill out a load of forms and wait for someone to talk with me and fill out the application. I was really lucky because the lady that helped me was really sympathetic and even though it was 11 days after my registration in Enkhuizen she'd try to make it all work retroactively.

In the meantime Social Services in Leiden wanted me to send them my rent contract and registration for Enkhuizen. They would end everything there then and send me the money they still owed me. But that was taking loads of time.

I complained about my terrible lack of money to Dan. Just to get it off my chest, you know, nothing else! And that super sweet caring idiot sent me money via PayPal :p

Several days after I went to Hoorn I got a letter from Enkhuizen Municipality with an invitation for the 3rd of July and another load of papers to fill out. I was rather nervous because my dealings with Leiden Social Services hadn't always been too...nice.

The day I went was a nice sunny day. And the lady I had to deal with, was a VERY nice sunny lady :D Of course she wanted to know why I had come to Enkhuizen and how I lost my last job, she wanted bank statements for the last 3 months and she promised me that because my needs were rather urgent, that she would work as hard as possible to get everything in order.

And she sure did! The letter I got today was signed July 17 so only 2 weeks after our conversation! I was really amazed...Again, Leiden took a LOT more time for that :p

So finally my biggest money worries are over ;) And now the time has come to go out and explore Enkhuizen...I have seen some things already of course on my birthday and with Andrea but there is so much more to discover in this lovely old town :)

So, I promise to keep you all informed of my 'adventures'! Maybe not every day but a lot more regular than I have been blogging lately ;)

I wish you all as good a day as I am having ;)

Hugz, Anna