Meditation Challenge

So I participated in this Meditation Challenge and it was a bliss... for the first part that is. And then I fell of the wagon...

I'm not sure whether I'm made for a challenge like this in which you need to participate every day. My life often is too hectic to find a moment of peace *every* day of the week and at this moment my life is pretty crazy. But I got the idea and I loved to be on the meditation path again. I just need to find my own rhythm in it. So I will continue this journey of searching for that "stillness inside of me" and I will keep you updated of my findings now and then.

Six Word Saturday

It's book week  - literary festival here in the week starting from today. It always makes me a little exciting... even as a little girl I had a huge thirst for books. The library was across the road so whenever it was open I would be inside looking for new books to read. 

As soon as I had worked through all the kid's books I wanted to continue in the adult's section but actually wasn't 'ready' for it. And I was so happy when we moved to another part of the country: I thought there would be new books available for me lol. 

Little did I know... in the village we moved to there wasn't a real library; instead the 'bibliobus' (library bus) would stop every Wednesday afternoon in the centre of the village. Of course this bus didn't have enough books for my taste but the lady in the bus was prepared to make reservations for the books I wished to read and would have them ready in the next week. Fortunately my mum was soon prepared to drive me to the next town where they had a big library :)

These days I'm reading loads of books for my studies and that literary part of my studies actually makes me very happy, but I can't wait for the summer break to have a bit more free time and read whatever I feel like. I love to read about foreign cultures and countries. It's like travelling from your armchair.

My Six Word Saturday for today:

Books have opened up my world

click on pic to know more

Meditation challenge

I'm starting this meditation challenge as from tomorrow. One of my friends suggested it and I thought it would be a nice kick off to start with meditation again. 
I hope I will be able to find that "stillness inside of me" in my often a bit too hectic life though ;).
Will keep you updated!

Six Word Saturday

Yesterday I met up with one of my dearest friends. We hadn't seen each other for a while and even her daughter told me: I haven't seen you for tooo long. It moved me that a little girl like her even had noticed. She was right though...

It was sooo lovely to catch up again and to talk for hours. Nothing had changed. I love it that friendships, even when life comes in between, can pick up things where we left them. Friends are so important...

My Six Word Saturday for today:

My soul is warmed by friendship 

click on pic to know more

In my mailbox

Found this postcard in my mailbox today and it made me smile after an exhausting day...

A different take on bringing my books on a camping trip!

In my mailbox

brooch / postcard

Time for a Spring swap! I love swaps: a bit of sunshine in an envelope. 

This time my secret swap partner turned out to be my friend in Spain :)

She sent me a handmade brooch (see photo, on the left), and a card with such a lovely quote. It warmed my heart that she chose that one for me!

I so loved what she sent me! Thank you A :)

Six Word Saturday

In the past days it has been looking lovely outside, from behind the window that is. Because it's still cold. But there's that little promise in the air... signs of spring? No, it's too early to get excited. But still... there's something in me that wants to get excited!

I'm longing for spring. Who isn't. I'm longing for the outdoor life: hiking, biking, camping. Not that I'm having time for that right now but still, I can't wait for the warmer days! Can't help dreaming...

My Six Word Saturday for today:

Blue skies but no spring yet

click on pic to know more

Battling insecurities...

Don't waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Six Word Saturday

The Annunciation
by Van Eyck

Last weekend one of my girlfriends took me to a special exhibition about Jan van Eyck in the Boijmans museum. Jan van Eyck was a Flemish painter and is considered one of the most significant Northern European painters of the 15th century. 

My girlfriend studied art and originally is from Belgium (now lives in the Netherlands), and we had a conversation about how little we know from each others art or great artists. Apparently while being neighbour countries we hardly get education about the other country. We didn't learn much about Belgium's history and they not much about the Netherlands. And from here it's only one hour by car to the next Belgian city so we are really close. How weird is that. 

Anyway, it was wonderful to have her as my personal guide during the exhibition and I was totally impressed by Van Eyck. You can't see from the photo here, not even on the exhibition website mentioned above, how amazingly detailed he painted. I loved to discover all the little details in his work. The Annunciation absolutely was my favourite. 

So in this past week I started to think a little more about the concept of neighbours in general. We live in a city so it's quite common that you don't know much about your neighbours. We do know who is who but that's at far as it goes. I'm not saying that this is right or wrong. It's different in every culture, different in villages and cities, and it depends from person to person. And I know quite a few people that actually moved to a city because social control is less overwhelming. I lived in villages as well as in cities and I learned to take things as they come. It's just the way it is here. And that's ok.



My Six Word Saturday for today:

we hardly know our closest neighbours

click on pic to know more

Just give me a reason

For three mornings in a row my alarm clock woke me up with this song, and since I love the song I woke up with a smile every morning again :)