Hundred Days of Happiness - Week Four
whoa - time is zipping by
I cannot believe how fast time is whooshing by! Still practicing gratitude every day and while the world is going wonky, there is still a lot to be grateful for. However, I am finding that I am pulling back in my news consumption and even my comedy consumption - I used to watch Stephen Colbert The Late Show and Seth Meyers’ “A Closer Look” if not every night, at least several times a week. Now, even that is just too much. But it’s also a struggle because I want to know what’s going on in the world. Some friends just put out a podcast on this very topic.
But for now life is mostly good and I’m happy with how things are day to day.
#thanksgiving #celebration #feast #family #love #traditions #day22 #100happydays
We celebrated Thanksgiving together with my parents and a good Dutch friend this afternoon. It was his first Thanksgiving and we were very happy to be all together. Grandparents and grandson decorated the Christmas tree together, played games and feasted. We made a “small turkey” (3,4 kgs / 7.5#s), green beans, mash potatoes, cranberry chutney, large salad, fresh sourdough bread and gravy. First time I have had wine in months and while nice to partake and share, we will see how I feel tomorrow. As I get older, my body just doesn’t like processing alcohol or it has forgotten how to do it, I’m not sure. We took a long break, then finished off with coffee, pie and cream. “Sloooough!” as my siblings would say. 😆😍🤣 I am so grateful to be able to spend the time with my parents and to celebrate these traditions with them and their son-in-law and grandson. Feel so loved and blessed.
#healthcare #gettingolder #coffee #cafeteria #breakfast #morning #day23 #100happydays
I am grateful for cafeterias in hospitals after early morning diagnostic procedures. I wish there had been more of a healthy food option - which is ironic given the hospital setting - but I was glad for the good coffee and the warm food in the morning.
It is easy to complain about the Dutch healthcare system as it is very different from both the US and Argentine systems, but once you get through the gate-keepers of the “General Practitioner” the care is good. This is one of the essays I have half-written. But given how maddening the US system is - so much so it leads people to desperate acts - I’m glad to be here.
#adventcalendar #december #christmas #friendship #community #gifts #cards #morning #day24 #100happydays
"Je bent niet alleen. Zoek de mensen bij wie je hoort en koester ze" “You are not alone. Find the people you belong to and cherish them” This gorgeous Advent Calendar was given to me by a beautiful friend and every day it has a lovely affirmation card. Community is what we need in the world now and this card is just perfect.
#fall #december #decorations #nature #pretty #morning #day25 #100happydays
Biking this morning for school drop off was cold and wet, but it was also very pretty. I stopped by the shopping center to pick up some groceries after the school run and it was still so dark out that the Fall/Winter lights were shining and making it feel not so grim. On the way home, the trees were putting on quite a lovely display of amber brown.
#growingupdutch #december #pakjesavond #sinterklaas #gifts #childhood #day26 #100happydays
Tonight was “pakjesavond” when Sinterklaas visits Dutch children and leaves presents on the night before his birthday on December 6th. Our son told me this year that Sinterklaas isn’t real, but he was indeed a real person a long time ago. We had a good conversation about how we keep the spirit of generosity alive for others.
He has had a fun time these past three weeks playing along and putting out his shoe and hoping for gifts and singing songs and writing letters to the Pieten. It’s been very cute. Tonight our neighbors helped us by knocking on the door and running away so that David opened up the door to a burlap sack while Mum & Dad are still inside! Leaving him wondering Huh? 🤔 How? DH wrote a great poem and our son loved the gifts which should keep him entertained for a good long while.
#growingupdutch #december #fietsen #biking #studiedag #bioscoop #Viana2 #Moana2 #childhood #day27 #100happydays
Today I took five boys to the movies in Dutch style. We rode our bikes 15 minutes to the movie theatre to see Moana 2. These boys are generally well behaved, but get five of them together and things get a bit more out-of-control, but it's still all good. It was a "study-day" for the teachers, so no school and it was also after "pakjesavond" so it lets students have a long weekend with family if they want to get away and visit extended family. Our son really likes to organize large gatherings with his friends and we are usually happy to oblige. Even though there was a strong wind storm advisory, it was just blustery and not too windy this afternoon and it was a fun outing.
#walking #recovery #friendship #december #dinner #datenight #megalopolis #movienight #bioscoop #day28 #100happydays
Today was a very good day. It started off with a 4km walk in MaximaPark with a woman I have known online for about a year but had yet to meet even though we live close by. The walk was great, the company was lovely and I didn’t feel tired afterwards. Yay for recovery! ❤️🩹 It was too early to have coffee at the local cafe so we went back to our house and caught up more there.
This evening DH and I had an impromptu date night as our son was invited to a sleepover. I organized our evening and found out we could go to the opening weekend of Megalopolis after a nice dinner at a random but really nice Asian Fusion restaurant LE:EN. Dinner was delicious and the movie was very thought provoking. Definitely underscored the importance of art to highlight civilizations highs and lows. The little independent theater was packed, we were seated in the second row. I’m glad the movie was made and if you get a chance to watch it, do so. Congratulations Francis Coppola on a job well done and for your award this weekend. Hope you are surrounded by love, and friendship.
My mother just started publishing on Substack and her and my father attended the The Kennedy Center Honors to support their friend Francis Coppola and she wrote about their weekend and arrival back into the United States. I hope you subscribe to her new Substack and listen to her podcasts. She has a very soothing voice in these turbulent times.
