By now, I\u2019ve written 15 poems and had fun writing them. The anticipation is the most fun, honestly. All of them are a bit rude, but that\u2019s tradition. We\u2019ll be celebrating Sinterklaas on December 6th with my in-laws. It\u2019s the most ingrained Dutch celebration. I did an internship at a women\u2019s rehab in the USA once. We had written every single one of the women a poem, which were met with disinterest or confusion. When we knocked on one of our friends\u2019 door and threw some sweets through his open window, he almost went to get his rifle. For context; we were dressed as Zwarte Piet, something Americans find distasteful. No thanks, I prefer the Netherlands. <\/p>\n
Lie, Hein\u2019s mother, comes to visit every Friday afternoon. She\u2019s an avid Scrabble player. I\u2019ve become one too. Every Friday afternoon we play a game or two. It\u2019s fun and I\u2019m not too bad at it. Besides, she makes the best pea soup, both easily edible and delicious. <\/p>\n
Last Saturday we laid our friend Lucy to rest. It was a bittersweet farewell. I\u2019m in an odd position when it comes to condoleances. I should be dead already and I could die pretty soon, so everyone is more dramatic towards me at funerals. I don\u2019t know what to do in situations like that, so I just bawl along with them. This world is strange. She was still healthy when I was already sick for 2 years. During the first year of my illness, she came to visit every third Wednesday afternoon to have lunch with me. She brought sausage rolls and drove Ward to tennis practise. She was part of our family rituals. Until she got breast cancer. She passed away on December 9th, 2003. <\/p>\n
I always keep in mind that I have a limited amount of time left. It keeps me from making certain investments. I don\u2019t have an automated home, a computer on my wheelchair or a downstairs bedroom. I\u2019ve worn the same coat for years, to the kids\u2019 chagrin. I can go on and on. Hein experiences time differently and has been asking himself if it would be useful to have an extra sun room built as a bedroom. What can I do? Change my perspective? That\u2019s scary to me. After all, I\u2019m a bit superstitious and I think it may have been my previous convictions that kept me alive. I don\u2019t know. <\/p>\n
I went to see a Sanne Wallis de Vries show on Monday evening. I had been looking forward to it, but left feeling a bit disappointed. Tonight, wel\u2019ll be going to see the Cambridge King\u2019s Collega Choir sing Christmas carols. I\u2019m wondering what the kids\u2019ll thinkg about it (I think they were most impressed about the kind of crowd the choir attracted, we saw a few celebrities and politicians). Lately, I\u2019ve tended to fall asleep during live performances. I didn\u2019t like the show much on a visual level, so my head lolled forward and, in no time, I was fast asleep. <\/p>\n
We went on holiday with Hein\u2019s family in the weekend before Christmas, in a cottage in Otterlo. It was great, even if the weather wasn\u2019t. We went to Deventer to go to a Dickens style Christmas market. We also visited Het Loo Palace. When we left on Monday morning, the rain turned to snow. A bit too late, but it did look beautiful.<\/p>\n
Christmas break started with our family holiday and Ward\u2019s school gala. I thought it was a bit overboard to buy Ward new clothes for the gala, but Floor made it clear that not doing so would be a grave mistake. When Ward and his friends did their research and concluded that buying clothes at C&A wouldn\u2019t be that pricy, we gave in. Thus, we now have a son with fancy black pantaloons, a white shirt and a matching vest to wear at Christmas dinner. We celebrated every December celebration at home. <\/p>\n
Christmas Eve with friends, Christmas Day with friends and New Year\u2019s Eve with friends again. Hein put a lot of work in. My task was to compile shopping lists. The kids have become so skilled in setting tables that I barely had to do anything. I\u2019ve noticed that most of my rituals have become family-wide, I didn\u2019t even have to take charge while buying fireworks, Ward was happy to take the helm. I tried to mitigate a bit, but still ended up paying 55 euros. <\/p>\n
Hein was completely in charge. The festive ambience made things that much more atmospheric. Sadly, I got a sore throat on Christmas Eve and felt a bit under the weather for the rest of Christmas. Even that didn\u2019t spoil our holiday spirit. Like the rest of the country, we spent Boxing Day watching the final Lord of the Rings movie, which was amazing but a bit too long. Once again, I couldn\u2019t get through it without crying. We also went to a live music show. Hein visited Brussels. Right now, it\u2019s 12:00 on Thursday, January 1st 2004 and the whole family including three of Floor\u2019s friends are still fast asleep, while I\u2019m writing this diary entry. I think I\u2019m going to have a little nap as well.<\/p>\n
Happy New Year.
\nIt\u2019s snowing!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sinterklaas By now, I\u2019ve written 15 poems and had fun writing them. The anticipation is the most fun, honestly. All of them are a bit rude, but that\u2019s tradition. We\u2019ll be celebrating Sinterklaas on December 6th with my in-laws. It\u2019s the most ingrained Dutch celebration. I did an internship at a women\u2019s rehab in the … <\/p>\n