Keeping my promise....

This weekend we had two relaxing days. We only have done the things who are really needed. Jan Cees is busy making a fireplace. Or better a fake fireplace for bio-ethanol. Further I went to the shopping center for shopping for  some new boots. I was surprised how expensive boots are. In the end I found a few which I really liked, and than it's not that difficult to pay for it. I also brought a visit to the hairdresser to cut and colour my hair, I thought I gave Basil a new look so I need a new look myself:-)
I have the feeling this post is not the best one until now. So I will finish this post with a nice picture of Basil.

Birthday

Next month I'm having my birthday. One of the days I prefere to skip of the calendar. I don't have the normal Dutch behavior around this day. Before I met Jan Cees I was able to ignore the knowledgement that it was my birthday at November 8. Unfortunately Jan Cees his family does not understand anything off my strange way to ignore this event. To be honest if everyone is there it is not so difficult to have some fun. I think it's more the complete organization, before there is an date which is feasible for everybody. Last year I end up with a date which was choose by the family, so this time I have tried a different way. I have sent an SMS to let them know I will celebrate my birthday at November 12. Without: please let me know if this suits you:-) we shall wait and see if this will work out. I will tell you more about this coming event in the next post or during our lesson next week.

Time to write

Vally you're so right, I have promised you more than once to write a new blog and until now I did nothing. I'm really ashamed. So now I have to write something that will make you amazed, or at least a bit proud. After all you have been absolutely very patience with me.
Today Myra has start her first day work after a few months of leave. It's a bit strange for both of us. I'm used to do the things alone, without explaining or asking. Myra has to find her way back in how it was before she left. Our department members are a bit confused about who they have to ask for help if they need us something to do. Shall I ask Myra now, or do I still ask Flora? As you can imagine everyone has had their difficulties today. I have told everyone including myself not to worry about this, in a few weeks everything will be as it were before. Further I'm still continue my diet, four weeks already, each week I have made a small progress, and I have lost 4 kilos. I hope I can persevere this way and than I'm on my target weight in 8 weeks; that should be the first week of December. Right before the Sinterklaas and Christmas holidays:-)
There are a few words I have looked up in the dictonary, for the rest of this blog I just write without to much thinking. I thought it's safe to try this with only you as follower. I'm curious about the mistakes I have made here. Now I'm going to check if there will be a new Dutch blog of your hand.

Busy busy and more busy

It's not normal how fast time flies. Last week I was convinced I would write a few times in this blog. Now it's Tuesday evening and I'm writing now for the first time, so I have at least one post done. Last week it was extreme busy at work, every day I came home after six o'clock. Besides that there were also some appointments in the evening and last weekend we visit Jan Cees his father for his 82 birthday. This week it seems a bit more quiet at work.

Time to write

this week I started with work after a four weeks holiday. To be honest our holiday was more and harder work than I had ever done. As you know we had planned to paint our house, and we are almost finished. We have done more than expect. The only thing what is not finished is our barn or storage space door. (I can't find an correct translation of our Dutch word "schuur") Our neighbours are all jealous, so I think we have done an amazing job. We are very proud of ourself that we have succeeded with our project.

Not finished:-(

Today it's Monday and we're not ready and that's a bit disappointing. The good news is that the end is nearby. It has to be because next Monday our holiday is over. Off course we made arrangements to have a few more days holiday in case we need it. To be honest, I now know already I need the few days more, so I can rest a bit before going back to work:-) Next time I hope to show a photo from our house when it's finished.

Ground floor

Today we had planned to do the front door and the kitchen window, but unfortunately we had unexpected visitors. Jan Cees his father was so curious after all we had told him about our painting work.It was almost four o'clock before he left so I only completed the front door today. We are still on schedule so it's not a big problem. After all we have holidays so a day with less progress is also good. Tomorrow we will put back the windows on the first floor and than it is complete finished. Can't wait for that moment.

Next level is achieved

The first floor is now for the first time in the primer. This must be done tree times before we can finish with the topcoat. It needs each time a day drying before the next layer can be applied. We made a start with the removal of the old paint of the ground floor. So with a bit of luck we can paint the ground floor  for the first time this Thursday. Our hope is to finish the complete project next Monday. Then we only have to make a move to the other side of our house to clean the wall with our pressure washer. The bricks are never cleaned and they are almost black of all the dirt of the passing traffic.

Writing a blog during holidays

I promised to write my blog during my holiday and until now I had no time left at all to write something. And you're right to sent me an email to remind me at that promise:-) We were busy with the dormer window and the paint. It is a terrible height:-( We are now four days further and the dormer window is almost finished.

Does our Basil needs a haircut?

An issue that we have discussed  from day one that he came to us. The problem are his eyesight. We really think he sees a lot less than a dog with a proper haircut that doesn't cover his eyes. When we throw his toys further away then one meter he can’t see them. Or he is just lazy. To find out which is the problem, his blindness or his laziness we gave him a ponytail as you can see on the picture. Basel didn’t mind and we have him renamed into Fifi.

Two days left..

Two days to go before the vacation will starts and I think I still have work for six days work. This means I have to make a choice; what to finish, what can wait until I’m back or which what  I could ask Danielle to do. Tomorrow I will see how far I get with it. After that I will decide how further. Luckily the minutes from the last department meeting are finished without too many mistakes. Now I have to wait for the last person who has to approve them. Then this job is done. It was a job which made me nervous beforehand. Afterwards it seems not as scary as I thought. I think this proves my practice sessions with Valerie are paying off. By the way, I really did enjoyed this morning’s session. It was fun and difficult to explain Dutch grammar in English.

Weather

This morning I woke up with the radio news which was telling us that the month August will be warmer than expected. So no worries about our painting work. Or in case it will get really hot we have to face other problems. Most of the work has to be done on the south side of our house. And I suppose you can imagine this could be end in a lot of burned skin. What an country always something to bother with the weather.

Rain again

My stories here are as booring as the weather I'm afraid. I understand, it's just that in this last week before our holiday starts we want to prepare as much as possible. Because of the brillant weather conditions we had to change our plans. Therefore I put on my rain coat and made an start with cleaning the stones (gevel in Dutch) from our house. It's an wet and dirty job zo it doesn't matter that it was also raining. After a few hours cleaning half of the job was done. I had enough of it and reward myself with an nice warm bath. The next mornig the weather was much better and when I went outside to admire my work it was not bad at all.

Summer in the Netherlands

Due to the terrible weather conditions yesterday everybody was a bit upset. First we had the extreme long dry weather with more than normal temperature. Farmers did complain a lot; their harvest was at risk. Water was what they needed, and now we have water and it’s too much. Yesterday there was a farmer of fruit in the news and he was complaining that his plum couldn’t gather. Too much or too less, there is always someone who is not satisfied. 

(Valerie I suppose a farmer of fruit is not correct, but I couldn’t find an translation for the Dutch word fruitteler)

Day two

Why on earth did I make this promise to write an English blog? Write a blog in Dutch is not so difficult, just a few stories about my little dog Basil what he’s is doing and what I think of that and done is the blog. If I can do that in Dutch why not in English you should think. This is so true and I can start this blog with this morning’s round outside. We start the morning like almost everyone today with a lot of rain, the typical Dutch summer. Our Basil who is a small very hairy dog doesn’t like the rain much. However rain or not we have to go out for the morning walk. In about 5 minutes our Basil looks like a floor cloth, I was totally wet through and we ran home in a new world record. To avoid him getting over energetic   I really hope it will be dry later today so we can have a longer walk.

How to start?

How to start? This morning I promised someone to open a blog and to make it difficult, it had to be in English. What have I done! I suppose Valerie has the same feeling when she will start her Dutch blog :-) We promised each other to read it and make comments were necessary. All of this to improve our English and Dutch. For now I think this is a start and if I get more self-confidence the stories will become a bit longer.