Hundred Days of Happiness - Week Nine
routines and reactions
First full week back in the Netherlands and it has been bitterly cold, but it seems like that is happening a lot of places - should be normal as it’s winter in the northern hemisphere. Luckily, there has been some sunlight as well. As the week progressed things got pretty intense for friends and family back in California. I am sending positive vibes, and also helping as I can from far away. There are lots of organizations official and non-official helping out in the Los Angeles Area. One such organization is mutualaiddisasterrelief.org There’s also a terrible amount of misinformation being slung around, please check sources folks! gavinnewsom.com/california-fire-facts/
Monday morning and back to the routine. We rode our bikes to school in the morning to drop off my son for his first day back and then I rode on to the local swimming pool here in MaximaPark, swam for 30 mins and then rode my bike back home. It was really nice to have the exercise done and dusted and be back home by 9:45 in the morning. Work started up again after a nice winter holiday break. That was a pretty good re-entry into the routine and I am happy with how the week started.
I always think of the French phrase Métro, boulot, dodo when I think of the adult routine and it makes me chuckle. The poet Pierre Béarn coined the phrase after his 1951 poem Couleurs d'usine, and it became a slogan of the May 1968 protests decrying the dulling routine of daily life of commuting, working and then sleeping endlessly on repeat with no possible way out.
Coming back home there was some fruit that needed to be eaten. Luckily, we had some friends from Argentina come and stay at our place while we were gone over New Year’s, so our cat was looked after, our food didn’t go bad and they had a place to stay while visiting the Netherlands - a win/win all around! But the bananas needed some “help”, so I made a banana bread improvising on the normal recipe full of wheat flour and sugar. This time I used a mix of rice flour and almond meal and sugar substitute and it mostly turned out pretty good - a bit too sweet for my tastes so next time less sugar substitute. I just sort of winged it this time.
The winter sun is shining off an on and it is glorious when it makes its appearance, even though it is still bitterly cold outside as you can see from the frost on the roof of the shed still freezing in the late morning. It is lovely to feel the sunlight and soak up the Vitamin D.
Even though it was dark and cold and drizzling in the morning, I still went for a bike ride around MaximaPark just after school drop off to ensure I got moving. Just before lunch, DH and I went for a walk around our neighborhood and it was another bright and brisk afternoon. We ended up having an intense discussion which ultimately is a good thing. Understanding and communication are hard and yet vital to a healthy and thriving relationship. I am glad we can talk and not keep things bottled up.
I had a hard time working today as I was so worried about my friends and family in California. I am glad to say that my family evacuated safely and their homes were untouched by the flames thus far. But the devastation is apocalyptic and will take years to recover from. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this crisis.
Friday morning I went swimming with friend and neighbor M and it was such a glorious bike ride back home even though it was bitterly cold and we needed to keep an eye out for ice on the bike path. It was lovely to go together and we even saw some other friends from the neighborhood at the pool. It is comforting to have connections with people here, makes us feel attached to one another and feel more ingrained in society. I think that is needed more and more now. Say hi to your neighbors!
Once a month, DH and I each get a “day off” where we get to do whatever we want, no family responsibilities at all, just us doing whatever. I took advantage of the beautiful, cold, crisp and clear weather and rode the bike for hours to the other side of Utrecht, and out to the countryside and then back. I rode 25km throughout the day (15.5 miles). I started late enough in the afternoon that I didn’t have time to actually go for a walk in the countryside but it was still wonderful to get out into nature and “go touch some grass”. Utrecht is a lovely welcoming city and yet it felt like a lot of people were on edge. We will see how this year folds out, but people’s expectations aren’t great. Sending out “good vibes” as I can.
Our little family went to have lunch with some Argentine friends who live in our neighborhood. I was amazed by their coconut growing a tree in a pot! We were lucky enough to be joined by other Argentine/Dutch friends we knew online but had yet had the pleasure of meeting in person. It was really nice to finally connect after so many years of such helpful online interactions. The “sandwiches de miga” were delicious as were the milanesas de carne y pollo and the company was delightful.
For something a bit different, I want to end with a couple of songs I watched/listened to this week that are amazing in different ways. I hope you find things to take and learn from each of them. I encourage you to go down the “Ren” rabbit hole if you don’t know his music. Oh My Gawd - he’s inspired and incredible.
I wish you a beautiful week and a full night’s rest.
what a lovely week Bea. Thanks for sharing it so well mxm