A Special Occasion,

 

Roberto Matta.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Matta 

Yesterday Richie was very busy all day with me, the dogs and shopping for us and for our visitor who we were looking forward to a lot.

It was very exciting waiting for 20.00 when John said he would be here, and he was, it was very nice to see him again after so long.

We came to the conclusion that we had not seen each other since 1998 when we were still living at the Haarlemmer Dijk, before we moved in 2000.

Seeing John again was so natural, it did not seem like 14 years ago it felt like we had only seen each other a few weeks ago.

Good to be able to relate to each other just like we always did, nice to feel so relaxed in each other's company.

Richie is cooking dinner for the three of us, John brought us some vegetarian haggis, most of it is in the deep freeze, Richie has made some for us tonight.

Which we will eat with mashed potatoes and swede which is what is traditionally eaten on Burns night in January on Robert Burn’s birthday.

It really is lovely to see you a good friend like John again, I'm so very glad that he is here visiting us, this really is a special occasion being reunited with such a good friend.

Feeling Positive.

Roberto Matta.

 and youChoose ahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Mattawe 

 

It's funny how empty it feels when visitors have left again after a lovely visit. Gareth and Paul's visit has done both Richie and myself a lot of good.

Lovely to have had two such nice people staying with us, however long the visit is it can never be long enough, not with good friends anyway.

Today we have been taking it very easy, and in between sort of day after our lovely friends had left yesterday.

Were both still basking in the afterglow of having friends staying here with us, it has been so good having Gareth and Paul here, nice to be able to talk to other people.

Their visit and given us the boost we needed and now we can carry on refreshed after seeing good friends, I'm feeling very positive now.

An Exciting Day

Roberto Matta.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Matta 

It's exciting day to day, because to visitors arriving at any minute now, Gareth and Paul will be staying in Amsterdam for 10 days.

They will be staying with us for three of those days, which will be really lovely; it is so nice to have our good friends here with us.

Richie is in the spare room making it look nice for their arrival, I can hear him moving around.

I am extremely happy at the prospect of idea friends being here so soon, Gareth just rang from Schiphol Airport.

He wanted to let us know they were catching the train Amsterdam Central any minute and it would be with us within an hour.

The weather is improving nice to see the clouds rolling away and blue sky and sunshine replacing them.

Hopefully the weather will be pleasant for Gareth and Paul’s visit to their friends in Amsterdam, all I am sure, are as excited as we are.

There will be staying here until Sunday, so my post will not be very long during their visit, I've already found art work from a from my favourite artist Roberto Matta, the famous surrealist from Chile.

This Wait Will Be Well Worth It.

 
 The City.
Alisdair Gray.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alasdair_Gray

After only rainy cool, overcast days since Tuesday, it was wonderful to get such a warm, dry day as yesterday.

It was a bonus going out in my tee-shirt with no need for a jacket, every time that I can do that this month will be an enjoyable bonus.

I asked two lovely friends who can sew and have sewing machines if they could help out, by altering some clothes.  

Anja came by just now to collect a big plastic bag full of trousers and tops that she will adapt for me to wear.

Another friend Marianne will come by tomorrow and take away another bag of zipped tops and trousers.

When I get them back, it will feel like several Christmases and birthdays have all happened at once.

I am feeling pretty bucked up by this, really looking forward  to wearing clothes that have been impossible for me to wear since early 2007.

A lovely perspective for me to look forward to wearing favourites once more, brilliant to get back some pride in my appearance.

I will have to wait yet again, this wait will be well worth it, but I will be counting the days until I can wear my clothes

All You Need Is Friends.

Brian Kershnik, 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kershisnik

Its been raining all day; my physiotherapist said she would by choice have stayed at home.

I hope tomorrow will be a better day, feel quite optimistic that it will be a nice day, although it is still overcast now.

 After my physiotherapy session I called a good friend, Eva, who came over to visit us, very nice to see her as she is moving to Brighton, England tomorrow.

I am going to miss her very much, even though I never saw her, as much as I would have liked to, just knowing she was nearby was good.

Eva is a wonderful woman, I hope she has a good time in Brighton, and finds work as well as somewhere to live.

Miss having friends like Eva here in Amsterdam, I often feel like I am missing a special best friend here.

My best friends are scattered around the world, guess that is how it is, you meet, then life intervenes and people move.

I did too, left England to come here in 1981, that’s already thirty years ago in August this year, not all of which went by quickly as it seems to now.

Feel more positive after Eva’s visit.

Having A Very Good Weekend

Useless Science. 1955.

Remedios Varo.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remedios_Varo

The party on Friday was really good fun, really loved seeing everyone, it is so good to see friends.

Made me realise again how we are all so busy with our own lives that we often do not see each other as much as we all might like to.

But that is life, people have to work and work does take up alot of time and energy from everyone.

Great that friends made time at the end of their working week to come here on Friday to celebrate my 60^th birthday.

Really did appreciate so very much that they came, so good to be able to see everyone and have such good fun.

Yesterday we were both tired and took it very easy, especially Richie as he had been so busy from early.

We both enjoyed a relaxed day yesterday, we watched the rugby, and football and watched the Football League Show at 11. 30 at night.

Halfway through the Football League Show my eyes started closing and when Richie turned the light off I was asleep pretty quick.

Today has been another peasant relaxing day; Richie has gone to the park with the dogs and will be back soon.

Lovely Seeing Our Good Friends.

 

Exploration of The Source Of The Orinoco River, 1959.
Remedios Varo.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remedios_Varo

It was lovely seeing our friends last night everyone, except three, came as promised with lovely food.

Lovely to see our friends here, I do like to see them and it was not only good they were here but great to see them and looking so well too.

A very pleasant evening that all too quickly was over again, we are both happy we did it.

Good to socialise with friends, I think it has given us both an enormous boost which will help us a lot.

We are both feeling very tired today, the last 2 people left after 12.30 and before we knew it was gone 01.07.

Richie took the dogs down the road to the dog toilet and when they got back I did ten minutes on the Motomed, to ease the leg spasms during the night.

Last night I enjoyed half a glass of prosecco and later on a wee glass of Trinidad rum.

Strange how times have changed, some years ago I would have drunk a lot more and be nursing a headache now. 

I guess that is because of the MS, as I can only get a couple of sips before I can not lift the glass at the right angle to drink

What A Wonderful 60th Birthday..

 

Red Poppy On A Roof. 1972.
Alvaro Guillot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvaro_Guillot

  

Today has been a very good day; it started of by Richie giving me lots of beautifully wrapped presents.

Lovely rings, 5 of them and two necklaces and matching earring and three bracelets, lots of pretty things for me to wear and enjoy.

Great fun, looking forward to wearing them all, nice to have pretty new costume jewellery.

Then Richie got me ready for my physiotherapy session with the lovely Mathilde, who brought me a present, of a little tub of Tamarind balls.

After the physiotherapy session Arden and Rob were back with a beautiful birthday cake from Holtkamp, the best baker in Amsterdam.

Before they left another friend, Toos came by to wish me happy birthday, quite special seeing her today, as she doesn’t like birthdays.

I received lots of lovely ecards and birthday greetings on Face Book; a beautiful orchid was delivered sent by dear friends from Wales.

This evening not long after Richie got me into bed, the phone rang, at first I did not have a clue who it was.

Turned out it was a very old friend of mine whom I had not spoken to for years, the last time I saw him was in 1993, so no wonder I did not recognize his voice.

What a birthday today has been and it is not over yet.

  

Great Fun.

Party Pictures.


The party was really good yesterday, seven friends joined Richie Gareth, Paul and I for a very enjoyable time last night.

Richie’s food was delicious and the tabboleh, potato salad and green salad complimented the quiches excellently, as did the chutney and pickled onions.

The German chocolate biscuits Katrin brought us last Saturday went down a treat as did Richie’s cupcakes.

We have a lot of proseccio left so Richie has suggested we have another party soon,
maybe nice when Marianne is back from holiday and Anja, Willes can be here too.

I had been feeling self conscious before the party but last night when our friends were here I had no more worries.

I was very clearly just myself Herrad and my handicap was of no importance. It was not a topic of conversation as we had plenty of other things to talk about and we did.

Two friends Lin and Eva helped me to eat as my hands we were .very cramped so could not pick up my quiche slices.

Richie that he enjoyed the fact he could sit and enjoy and not have to wait to eat after helping me to eat.

It was great fun so much so we went on for an hour longer than planned until midnight, had a catheter problem at 22.45 which took a couple of minutes to resolve.

Then we rejoined the party and decided that we were having such fun to carry on for another hour.

Having Gareth and Paul staying for three days has been wonderful gave us both a tremendous boost.

So nice to spend time with good friends, one good friend, Grainne was here last night who we do not see often as she has a hectic schedule.

Another friend Eva joined us, who we had not seen for five years, felt like yesterday that I last saw her as we slipped easily into chatting and laughing.

All in all a successful party and something we intend to do again very soon look forward to the next party.