421

Looking at these pictures of a warm week, last summer, I can feel the grass under my feet again.

The garden so lush and colourful; even more wild, more magical than it had ever been. The children are running around, too fast for my camera to capture them. So I photograph the colours, the drops of water, the little paper crafts hung in the bushes.

Being on the farm in the summer is so different than our visits in the winter. The winterdays are dark, naps and knitting by the oven. The house seems so much smaller then. In the summer we run through the garden, climbing in trees, climbing on people, juicy fruit making everyone sticky. Cheeky smiles and just so much joy.

We had a party, the first party again (and the last one since then). Children making gintonics and getting everybody drunk. Dancing and dancing until the grass turned into mud and we had to take off our shoes. Ich liebe dich. And then; 2 at night, the 8-year-old runs inside the house and returns with the clock, eyes and cheeks bright red, but so happy she is still awake. "Ich bin noch wach!!!" Cheers all over, and we carry her (to bed) like a champion, chanting her name. 

420

Working-life is interesting. In the mornings I go downhill and in the evenings uphill. We start and end at the same time everyday. Maybe such strict routine will be good for a change.
If I manage to hit people on a nearly-empty snowhill, how am I supposed to cycle through Amsterdam?

419

Today I said my living-in-Eindhoven-life goodbye and hopefully for good. I couldn't be happier.
Of course there are things I will miss because I got used to them, like the cats that said hi to me when I came home, or how I got to know when my supermarket had cheesetastings* or how the lady from the photostore finally memorized my name and order (best accomplishment to be honest). I could probably go on for a while here. These small things you get used to and feel happy for knowing.
But these things were mostly important to me because there is nothing else to Eindhoven. And I also know that you will find your routines in any place as long as you spend enough time there. I already know where to get cheesetastings in Amsterdam, and I'll make sure to make enough pictures for the guys at the photostore to know my name soon, and the cats won't be a problem either, so I'm guessing I'm going to feel familiar in no time.


* Cheesetastings. This is a very Dutch thing probably, because Dutchies like cheese and free things. The thing is mostly that I never buy cheese because it is always too much for me and too expensive, but I love myself a taste of cheese every now and then and the free samples always give you just enough to satisfy the need.

418

Long time no see here. Somehow life was incredibly busy the last weeks. On the moments I didn't have to work for school, I tried to stay away from any "computer work" as much as possible. Cooking, baking, looking for houses and an awful lot of knitting.

Many things are changing. I'm starting my internship soon and with that comes a move to Amsterdam and I'll never have to live in Eindhoven again. Can't wait. 

417

Knitting, working and travelling. These days when the mornings are cold, misty and calm, I long to travel to empty lands again. Just two more weeks.
Not so long ago, a "schooltrip" to empty parts of the Netherlands, organizing, cleaning and sleeping in prisonbeds. The building used to be an office, so the heater would turn off at 6, it made it feel a bit more like camping. Indoor wintercamping. 

416

11 years ago on this day, I become 11.
This 22nd of November, I became 22.
It is a nice number so it will be a good year.

(and now that we are looking back, we all know what happened 50 years ago of course. Or actually we dont. there was a competition who got the best story of what he or she was doing 50 years ago on this day. i wonder if we are also going to do that for 9/11 so many years from now.. It's a bit strange, don't you think? Anyway..)

415

The remains of a breakfast, the murder of a fly and an uniform of sorts.