Annb
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Software is still acting up. Refused to load a reply - nothing important, so it didn't matter. So I left it to see when it would load, and it just disappeared on me.
Working now though.
Working now though.
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"What have you eaten" Parallel Chat
- Thread starter zauberflote
- Start Date
Not food related, so taking to parallel thread.
Here's a bit of background, and I'm one of those taking both point 8 and 9 very seriously...
No need to draw names to determine who I'll have to make a surprise and poem for, it's only the two of us, me and a German friend who wanted to know what Sinterklaas was all about.
Ten things you need to know to celebrate Sinterklaas - DutchNews.nl
On December 5, the shops will shut early and some 60% of Dutch households will settle down to celebrate Sinterklaas. Here’s a list of all you need to know to get it right. 1 Who is Sinterklaas? The man in the mitre is impersonating Saint Nicholas, a 4th century bishop who lived in Myra, in what...www.dutchnews.nl
So this is our fourth year celebrating together. She's not as good at it as I am, but I'm very happy she's willing!
With both parents dead, no siblings and no children, my favourite time of the year (trumps both christmas and birthday by a very long way, and I like those too) had grown to be a time of longing, sadness and grief, but it looks like this year for the first time pleasure has the upper hand!
In the past years I enjoyed it as well, but this new tradition seems to have taken the place of the old, and all is well again.
The wonderful thing about Sinterklaas is that more than half of the fun is making the surprises and poems, so if you start early you'll have 3 weeks of happy stress.
And being a hardcore Sinterklaas lover with too much time on my hands, I tend to go all out.
So yes, it's related to my suffering cleaner who tested my labyrinth.
There has to be a package in the living room of course, presents and surprises come from Sinterklaas so everything has to be self explaining, giving hints myself is out.
So there will be this darkened labyrinth, but there will also be a poster advertising this New, Exciting, Never Before Seen ride!
And there will be an envelope with an invitation to this Exclusive Experience designed to represent the way we need to make our choices in life, crawling through darkness with no clue on which choices will lead us to the best outcome.
My friend is currently rather struggling with choices in life and depression, and surprises and poems are supposed to be personal, and if possible touching slightly painful stuff in a friendly and funny way.
The invitation will also tell her about the useful gifts she'll find to help her on her journey: consolation, fun, and wisdom, with the extra gift of luck for the very first visitor of the ride.
Consolation will be a horrible giant stuffed dog I got for my birthday, but I'll make it a jacket saying "Emotional support dog".
Fun will be a toy making noise when you touch it. Which I imagine is very scary when crawling through a dark labyrinth, but it definitely will be great fun for me!
And she can use it to have fun with others in the future, so not a lie.
Wisdom will be a self help book I think will just suit her, that's the real present.
And the extra gift of Luck will be a keychain with a 4 leaved clover.
I've been working on the advertising poster this week, pretty happy with it! It's as big as a real poster too, and it says'The Dark Labyrinth of Life'.
This will be the thing wrapped as a gift in the living room, and the invitation will be inside. Of course every gift she has to find in the labyrinth will have a short poem to explain too.
This sounds brilliant and so much fun, (but quite a lot of pressure to get it all done too?) you’ve put so much thought into it. I love the ugly stuffed dog wearing a new ‘emotional support dog’ jacket.
It's finished!
I cut felt letters, and a heart for on its chest to go over the giant dollar sign it was originally wearing.
Sandals size 8 for scale.
It's finished!
I cut felt letters, and a heart for on its chest to go over the giant dollar sign it was originally wearing.
Sandals size 8 for scale.
View attachment 57729
Ugly but brilliant! A perfect personal present and a fantastic gift. And bonus points that you re home it!
Annb
Expert
So do I. I have seen a couple on Alistair's phone, but he's as useless as me when it comes to technology and he doesn't know how to download photos from his phone.
I think I must have put the original message on the wrong thread, didn't I?
It's just like last time she had puppies, I wish I was closer because I very much want to crawl in with a pile of pups!
Still, I get to pick up my new kittens tomorrow, so very exciting!
Annb
Expert
Have a lovely time getting to know your new kittens.
MrsA2
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I'm sorry to hear about your cat.
While 18 is definitely a respectful age, it doesn't make it any easier when you start to see the beginnings of the end.
Don't worry about a lack of pictures of my kittens, I'll make sure I'll keep you updated!
I'll even get a christmas tree for the first time since I was a child, the combination of kittens and christmas tree should give me joy for at least a month!
Annb
Expert
Em had a sleepover last night and she got up about an hour ago. That was a pretty solid 12 hours she slept. currently, she is working on the illustrations for our book about Banksie - just the first story, which she intends to take to school to show her teacher.
At the moment I don't have any pictures of the pups. I'm dependent on DIL e-mailing me images but she's busy and often forgets. I'll have to ask Em to nag her mum until I get them. We had unexpected visitors yesterday, the husband is a publisher and is looking at publishing some work in English and gaelic, and in setting up some kind of arts project on the Islands so, of course, there was lots of discussion about the subject - Em presenting her artwork, Neil discussing bookbinding, wife and myself just looking on. They went away with one of Em's pictures each as a gift. This is the reason for the renewed interest in the Banksie stories.
One of the pups is now spoken for. The lady who is taking Ginnie is also taking one of the pups to keep her company. Just another 10 to go.
At the moment I don't have any pictures of the pups. I'm dependent on DIL e-mailing me images but she's busy and often forgets. I'll have to ask Em to nag her mum until I get them. We had unexpected visitors yesterday, the husband is a publisher and is looking at publishing some work in English and gaelic, and in setting up some kind of arts project on the Islands so, of course, there was lots of discussion about the subject - Em presenting her artwork, Neil discussing bookbinding, wife and myself just looking on. They went away with one of Em's pictures each as a gift. This is the reason for the renewed interest in the Banksie stories.
One of the pups is now spoken for. The lady who is taking Ginnie is also taking one of the pups to keep her company. Just another 10 to go.
My apologies!
The kittens are very handsome, but also very, very scared.
So things aren't as rosy as I imagined. I got them yesterday at 2 PM and they're still hiding in the back of the travel case, not interested in food or anything else. Today one came out to use the litterbox, and I hope they have been drinking and maybe eating while I was sleeping.
I put the travel case in a large dog bench, with litterbox, food and water so they can't go hide where I can't find them anymore until they are a bit less scared.
Fingers crossed things will improve in a couple of days, they were very playful in their old home.
MrsA2
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It's big changes for them. Be patient! When we moved house ours spent a week in the back bedroom, and they already knew us! They will be getting used to sounds and smells.
They are gorgeous. Do you have names for them yet?
Annb
Expert
Em asked me today what is my biggest fear. I'm not really sure but we both agreed that spiders is a major one for me. She confided that she's not afraid of spiders, she's not afraid of getting hurt, she's not afraid of ghosts and she's not afraid of dying, but she is afraid of the antique mirror hanging in my hallway. It's very odd. The hallway is long with corners and the mirror is positioned to reflect some light into the corridor. It is dark in the evenings because Neil never got around to rewiring the lights when the ceiling was replastered some 5 or so years ago. We leave other lights on to illumine the corridor, but it is still pretty dim. But it's during the day that she seems to be afraid and thinks she sees a dark figure following her as she passes the mirror.
Not sure whether to just reassure her and wait for her to get over it or to take the mirror down. I was thinking of exchanging it for a much more ornate one which was my mother's (the offending one was my great grandmother's and just a plain oval glass in a dark mahogany frame). Perhaps that would be a good idea to see if it is the frame itself that is the issue.
Not sure whether to just reassure her and wait for her to get over it or to take the mirror down. I was thinking of exchanging it for a much more ornate one which was my mother's (the offending one was my great grandmother's and just a plain oval glass in a dark mahogany frame). Perhaps that would be a good idea to see if it is the frame itself that is the issue.
Between my posting and now they've started to explore the bench, and I even saw one playfully pawing some grass that was still hanging from the side of the bench, so progress! (Bench has been living in my garden for at least 5 years, it's not even mine and it took some strength and frustrated anger to rip it free from where it had started to become part of the garden.)
Still hissing and growling when I come close though.
I'm starting to become slightly optimistic, fingers crossed they'll grow out to be happy and social cats!
I do have names, but I'll only know for sure once I get to know them (and be able to tell one from the other).
One will likely be called Nacht (Night in Dutch), after my friend @JoKalsbeek 's beloved black cat, of course after asking her how she feels about it. The other one will likely be called Ix, or Ixje, after one of the first cats I knew. She was my aunt's when I was little, all black, and I found out recently she was a half Siamese just like mine are.
My aunt gifted me the closet I use for my clothes, with the scratch marks of the original Ix from 40 years ago. Would be so funny if the new Ixje was to add to those!
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Why not ask her how bad it is and if it would be better to replace it?
Annb
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Yes, of course. She's sensible and certainly able to give an opinion. Don't know why I didn't think of that.
maglil55
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Been there with my eldest Grandson but, it was hard work getting him to admit what was causing his fears. We could "assume" due to all the things that happened in his young life but, it was never the same as breaking down the barriers. It took a lot of hard work and patience. Now, sometimes he'll need a little effort but he is usually forthcoming in a matter of hours. I actually found out the same day he was fretting about me going into hospital!
Em's a sensible little girl. I suspect with a comfy hug and a hot chocolate she's open up.
