Hundred Days of Happiness – Week TwentyTwo
Enjoying the beautiful spring while dealing with a health hiccup - more annoying than anything else.
This last week was a bit better anxiety-wise, but physical health-wise it could have been better.
Apr 7 – Day 149
I don’t know exactly what I am doing “right” with the orchids, but all three of our plants are blooming. This one was a gift from friends on my 50th birthday - almost two years ago now! Definitely makes me smile when I see it.
Apr 8 – Day 150
Santi has been making sourdough bread for about two years now and it’s just gotten better and better. He recently discovered a recipe for making whole wheat crumpets with the “discard” from the starter and he made the world’s largest crumpet in the Dutch oven! Amazing.
Tuesday’s late morning walk with DH with the pretty sunlight coming through the beginning of the leaves on the poplar trees was gorgeous. He made me put away the phone after this, so glad for this nice shot but also good to be present while together.
That afternoon I went into Amsterdam for a work meeting and walked through this beautiful park to get to where I had to go. It was very good to get out and see this gorgeous scene.
Apr 9 – Day 151
I was bummed on Wednesday as I had to cancel my participation in that morning’s walk with my group of International Women. My heart was in AFib and it was racing too much for me to do much of anything. At least the group continued on without me. I just had to rest and wait it out. It’s so annoying. I had plans!!! Oh well. I took the enforced rest. At least my cat was happy to be by my side.
Apr 10 – Day 152
Next day, I was on the hook for taking kids on a field trip and being a bit of guidance while out and about. It is very rare to have school buses here in the Netherlands. When they go on field trips, usually they ask for parent volunteers or they ride their bikes all together to get where they are going. This trip was to a local working/teaching farm so that the children could learn what is necessary to take care of animals both big and small. Mostly involved cleaning up their waste and putting down new bedding and cleaning out and refilling food and water containers. They helped take care of goats, sheep, donkeys, pigs, cows, rabbits, guinea pigs and rats. It was a pretty lovely morning all told.
Apr 11 – Day 153
The light was so beautiful coming through the heavy morning mist during school drop off. Within an hour it had all burned off.
Apr 12 – Day 154
I have been seeing these groupings of these teeny tiny purple flowers at the base of the poplar trees nearby. I got down on the ground to catch these flowers. If you zoom in, there is a brown/black bumblebee in the bottom left 1/3 of the photo. I took this on my way back from dropping our son off to go bouldering with his classmate.
Sat evening DH and I got to go on a date that we have postponed for almost nine months various times. We finally got to go to the spa together and float around in warm water and relax in the sauna and eat a lovely dinner outside. No electronics allowed thus obviously no photos, but I wanted to mention this, as it was so wonderful and luxurious to completely relax together in each other’s company.
Apr 13 – Day 155
I planted this wisteria last year and I honestly didn’t expect any blooms for a couple of years at least. These little sprouts of purple make me ridiculously happy and I look forward to seeing them bloom and hang gently over our entryway.
I recently started searching for good protest songs and came across the Argentine classic “Los Dinosaurios” once again by Charly García. It’s been a while since I heard it and honestly I didn’t totally understand it before. Now, it hits differently and the melody is haunting and beautiful.
It talks about how people can disappear from the street and from the air (referencing how people were thrown out of airplanes over the river) but the dinosaurs (dictators) will disappear eventually. They always do - the arc of justice bends slowly but but bend it does.
![Screenshot of the translation of the lyrics of "Los Dinosaurios" from Spanish to English. Translation is [Chorus] The friends from the neighborhood can disappear The radio singers can disappear The ones in the newspapers can disappear The person you love can disappear The ones in the air can disappear in the air The ones in the street can disappear in the street The friends from the neighborhood can disappear But the dinosaurs are going to disappear [Verse 1] I'm not calm, my love, today is Saturday night, a friend is in jail Oh, my love, the world disappears If the heavy ones, my love, carry all that baggage in their hand Oh, my love, I want to be light [Verse 2] When the world goes down it's better not to be tied to anything Imagine the dinosaurs in bed When the world goes down it's better not to be tied to anything Imagine the dinosaurs in bed [Chorus] The friends in the neighborhood can disappear The radio singers can disappear The ones in the newspapers can disappear The person you love can disappear The ones on the air can disappear on the air The ones on the street can disappear on the street (Bah! ) Neighborhood friends can disappear But dinosaurs are going to disappear](https://assets.buttondown.email/images/5848d3a1-ee4f-4f29-8ab4-478ecc2a2c97.png?w=960&fit=max)
[Chorus]
The friends from the neighborhood can disappear
The radio singers can disappear
The ones in the newspapers can disappear
The person you love can disappear
The ones in the air can disappear in the air
The ones in the street can disappear in the street
The friends from the neighborhood can disappear
But the dinosaurs are going to disappear
[Verse 1]
I'm not calm, my love, today is Saturday night, a friend is in jail
Oh, my love, the world disappears
If the heavy ones, my love, carry all that baggage in their hand
Oh, my love, I want to be light
[Verse 2]
When the world goes down it's better not to be tied to anything
Imagine the dinosaurs in bed
When the world goes down it's better not to be tied to anything
Imagine the dinosaurs in bed
[Chorus]
The friends in the neighborhood can disappear
The radio singers can disappear
The ones in the newspapers can disappear
The person you love can disappear
The ones on the air can disappear on the air
The ones on the street can disappear on the street (Bah! )
Neighborhood friends can disappear
But dinosaurs are going to disappear
Love bumblebees and Dinosaurs. Enjoyable postings. Pics are beautiful and informative. Great that the Dutch kids are learning about the land/farms and being pro-active working on the land with animals. Hope you're Afib gets better. Taking time off is good to get better so when you're able you can be as active as you want to be. Listen to your body and don't push it when it needs a timeout. No shame in taking timeouts when needed. We need you to be well so you can be who you are. Aloha.
Thank you. Love that the bubble bees are coming out of hibernation. It is happening here too:) mxm