Existing in the pause

Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer are perhaps two of the most amazing writers I know. They have a way with words that borders on magical - words that burrow deep into your heart and stay there for the longest of time. I wish I could do something to help them through the difficult days they are facing just now. I wish I could do more than simply send my love.

"my god there's so much hate.
 but there's so much love."

Amanda Palmer in her journal

"It doesn't feel like real time. Normally, we breathe in and we breathe out, and we never notice the beat between the breath. Right now we are living in the place between the inhalation and the exhalation, existing in the pause."

Neil Gaiman in his journal

A new day - a new place - a new book

Girl: reading. 

Boys: fishing.

A girl needs to be prepared for the wait, and what better than a book and some binoculars? I was all set for hours.

"H is for Hawk" b Helen Macdonald

Old glass and curios

A mirror is a strange thing. Somehow this picture is showing my living room, and somehow it is not. All the elements are there, true, but the mirror makes the end result so striking I got completely baffled after taking the picture! I am finding it very hard to believe my living room could ever look this good.

I do love the old glass I have inherited or found in antique shops and my curio collection, though. This might be just a small part of everything I have collected, but at last I have found a way of displaying them. Happy days. An added bonus is I have better space in my library now, too!

Old glass and curios ♥

Reading together

Some mornings you just want to keep in a bubble. You do not want the world to move on and out of that little piece of heaven you have managed to create. And for a while...that might actually work.

Tea, coffee, breakfast, books and company ♥

Svalbard

 - the land of ice, polar bears, snow mobiles, views and friends - 

Me being me, I even found books to collect up here...!

A polar bear mum and her two tiny cubs left paw prints in my heart

A grand midnight sun ♥

Another volunteering experience!

This time with an old dream of mine...dolphins! At the west coast of Australia you can find Shark Bay and Monkey Mia. This is a great place for learning about and meeting dolphins, doing research, swimming, sunbathing, reading books, having conversations, meeting new people...and to simply watch the dolphins play and hunt along the shore. These creatures are mysterious, fun and magical - all at once.

Two of the lovely dolphins I was so lucky to meet ♥

Diaries, statistics and keeping tabs is important down here as well

Some general store!

This is how every general store should look! Go Australia!

Books, surfing boards, food...

Books come in many shapes...

My poor diary is falling apart, but to be fair that is to be expected when travelling the world its fifth (and sadly last) year in a row...

Old family treasures

Firstly, I should mention that this is not my book. Not yet, at least, and hopefully not for many years still.

Secondly, I have a fondness for old recipe books, and so far I have collected a few. The effort and time the ladies put into them back in the days and over the course of years make them special. Some young women continue to write in the same recipe book for fifty years or more, making it more similar to a diary showing the passing from unmarried to married, to being a mum or to become a grandmother.

This particular one belongs to my dad's mum. She brought it out from its hiding place when I asked if we could bake prior to Christmas. The book is almost 50 years old now. It was a fun day - and I got to spend wonderful hours with my grandparents. I love being home for Christmas.

My granny's old recipe book

A bonfire and a cave

My friends asked me to join them in camping out in a glitter cave this weekend. It was snowy outside, a bit cold - and yet, sitting in the cave at night, watching and listening to the bonfire after all the rest had gone to sleep, I loved it. I had some tea left, I had my book - and for a little while there was enough light from the flames to read by before it all got too late and I had to get some sleep as well.

An inspiration

My library contains more than books

Amongst the books residing in the shelves of my library you can find a great many other things. If I like something, it will fit in here somewhere - that is the greatness of a room full of rare, strange or funny items. My library is a testimony to my somewhat eclectic taste - a sanctuary for all the weird things I have collected over the years.

Some items, like this puzzle, are perhaps not so eccentric, although very pretty in itself. 

A puzzle with the most vibrant colours!

A surprise!

Today, the 4th of November, I could actually go outside and cut another couple of roses from my garden. This is a novelty. Normally, sitting by the kitchen window at this time of the year, the garden flowers are pretty much gone and there are only some vague reflections of the glorious summer colours left.

A sunny day

Pretty colours make any day bright...

...and my diary is always close by.

What a cake!

Cake, anyone? I think this comes quite close to the most amazing cake I have ever seen!

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50 questions that will free your mind

These questions have no right or wrong answers - as sometimes, asking the right questions is the answer.

Give them a go:

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do?
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back?
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
22. Why are you, you?
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
25. What are you most grateful for?
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?
30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
32. If not now, then when?
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?
50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

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Close to the perfect holiday

A little while back we jumped on a plane to the Caribbean. We had no plans, no thoughts as to where to go - apart from the date on the return ticket. What a joy! We roamed about around the British Virgin Islands - and visited 7 different islands in the area. We absolutely loved a few of them - they were so tranquil, so beautiful and in general amazing places to spend some time!

Needless to say: I brought books! And a hammock. You do not need much to make some pretty perfect days on the beach ♥

A book I found down there:
A Trip to the Beach 
by
Melinda and Robert Blanchard

Another book from the amazing "Black Jewels"-series!

Luxurious days!

Nom!

"Bright Young Things"
by
Scarlett Thomas

I really have to plan another trip - perhaps to a different part of the Caribbean this time. Although I must say that I will have to drop by "Ivan's Stress Free Bar & Campground" on Jost van Dyke - that place was the closest thing to paradise we found ♥

Incredible book art

Sometimes art can be so detailed and beautiful - and what better material then books to make it out of? A book that has seen better days might turn into this perfect project. I especially marvel at the pictures and drawings of this book - they are truly magnificent when displayed like this.

"Modern Painters" by Brian Dettmer

I'm a chain reader

Indeed I am. I always have my next book with me or nearbye somewhere!

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A readomatic? Oh yes, please!

How clever an idea is this! I love it!

This would be the perfect supplement to any public place where there are no book stores. Anyone of us could simply choose the book we wanted - come day or night!

No more panicking if you are down to those last few pages of a great read - the salvation would be right around the corner.

"Exercise your mind"

Now, if you put one of those vending machines with snacks and chocolate in them next to it, along with a hot drink-machine that gives for example tea or hot chocolate, we would really be in for a treat...right? ♥

Hide and seek......

So, Saturday night  - and the guys at work figure they want to play a trick on me. They hid my iPad TWICE tonight! This is where it was the last time I found it... I must admit this was rather inventive - and quite telling, too. Such a neat place to hide it, right?

Do you see it?

It was a laugh - and I still do not know who did it. They all point fingers at someone else... Boys!