My hightlights of 2011

I know it's been ages since I last wrote.
So much stuff has happened lately. Most of it all good though. ;-)

It's Christmas Eve. This is for most people quite an emotional time of year. You think of all the new friends that have entered your life, of all the memories you've collected, all the experiences. And I'm no different.

It's been quite a year for me. I've enjoyed most of it. And that's what I'm focussing on, an amazing year!!
Some of my highlights:

In April my lovely friend and her lovely son came to visit us here in The Nethies:

We had a lovely time. And I'm hoping to meet up very soon again!


Meeting Robert Pattinson in May in London at the Water for Elephants premiere:

 

It was the first time I met this amazing man! I was sooo nervous and so shocked at even more gorgeous he is in real life!This is a lovely first pic of Rob and myself. It's an cluse-up, but he's smiling.

Eventhough it was freezing outside, we sure had an amazing time!!!

 Seeing Take That live on a few dates. Including their very last show of the tour in Munich in July:

This tour was very different then any other Take That tour. It wasn't my fave, by far, but I'm very glad I went!!!! I did 2 shows on my own, then a show with my son, sister and a friend. The very last one was with my amazing friend Ursula!!! Front row again, and some magic moments.


Spending an incredible weekend with some incredible women in Wales.

OMG did we have fun ice skating and watching Slomo-Rob. It was quite an experience. True friendships were created this weekend.

Meeting Robert Pattinson in October in Brussels for the red carpet for the fanevent:

This is my fave picture of Rob and myself. I got it signed when I met him in November for the BD1 premiere. I look just a little too excited but he's smiling again!!! I'm sooo chuffed with this one. 
I also got to meet the lovely Ashley Greene:

Meeting Robert Pattinson in November at the premiere for Breaking Dawn part 1:

This was also very special. As besides Rob I also met some more Twilight stars. Including Kristen Stewart.

 

I was soooo happy to meet her. She's just beautiful and so so very sweet! I had a very special moment with her. Unfortunately she wasn't allowed to have her picture taking with anyone. 

 

 It wasn't as cold as we expected, and as there were people I knew, we had loads of fun. Can't wait to do it all over again!!! The queuing was brilliant! We spent 2 night outside and it was worth every second. We had lovely people around us, and with the premiere being at a shopping centre we had everything we needed extremely close by!


I also went to Berlin to see Rob. Waiting in the extreme cold for hours was defenitely worth it.

Had it not that Rob didn't even come near us. He got out of the car and signed for people on the other side. His 'people' wouldn't let him sign on our side. We were gutted beyond believe. I have to admit, some tears were shed.
Now I can look back with a smile. My friend Ursula had an amazing time there as she did have her extremely amazing moment with Rob, and I'm so happy for her. The hotel had some very good features aswell. ;-)

And Lynne, Ursula and I had some great laughs. We did have really good fun.
And I did get to meet Tayler, again:

It isn't the best picture, but then, he wasn't reason why we were there. He's so much more good looking in real life. But he's still a boy in my eyes.

I also got back in touch with some people I lost touch with over the years. It's been lovely catching up, and I can't wait to meet up with them in the new year!

2012 is already promising to be a very good year!
In the first week of January I'll be going to Belgium to see Bel Ami. A film Rob shot this year. I'm so very very very excited about this film. I'll be going with one of those people who I got back in touch with. Should be really good seeing her again.

Midway through January an amazing new friend will be visitng me!!! I'm sooooooo excited about that too! I went over to her place in October, and we had so much fun with the other girls! And I'm very much looking forward to spending some time alone with her. She's become so special to me. A true friend!!!

In March Bel Ami will hopefully be released in most European countries. And I hope that means alot of premieres. I can't wait to go on Rob tour!

This Summer I'm taking my son on a proper Summer holiday!!!! The Summer this was the worst EVER!!! I want to make sure we have sunny, hot weather. So my son and I will be going away. It's probably gonna be Spain. I'm hoping to book our vacation within the next few weeks.

In November Breaking Dawn part 2 will be released. That's gonna be amazing and a little sad the same time. The last film of The Twilight Saga. No more new releases, no more new Edward.
But I'm more excited about what's gonna happen with Rob next. He's gonna leave Edward behind forever. He's finally letting him go and show the world what else he's capable of. Of course he's already some amazing films in between all the Twilight films but he always went back to being Edward. Not anymore.
The other new release from Rob will probably be in December. Cosmopolis!!! Another amazing film! With hopefully more premieres!!
And premieres also means more meet ups with my friends!

I've met so many amazing people this year. And I can't wait to see them so many more times this year!!!

I love you so very much!!!

Having a cold

I hate having a cold.

I hate not being able to breath properly
I hate blowing my nose
I hate how my voice sounds when I have a cold
I hate feeling weak
I hate having a runny nose
I hate having teary eyes 24/7
I hate breathing through my mouth

When you're properly ill you stay in bed and can't do anything.
Now with this cold most of my body wants and can be active. But the most importand part can't do much. My head is full and doesn't wanna co-operate. I can't concentrate on anyhting for very long. reading, spending time online, writing. Everything I do for a longer periode of time starts to hurt at the front of my head. There's so much pressure in there.

Please let this cold be over soon!

This could be me

Thunderstorms

This morning I woke up to a thunderstorm going over my town.

I love thunderstorms!!!!!

I love the dark clouds, the thunder, the lightning, the rain. I truely love it. It makes me wanna sit on my lovely settee, watching a nice film, wrapped in a fleece blanket with the candles alight.

Thunder and heavy rain also holds alot of memories for me.
When I was young my parents took my sister and myself camping in Spain every other year. We went there for 3,5 weeks and I loved it!!!!
During those 3,5 weeks we had at least 1 heavy rain and thunder storm. And then the same routine evolved.

My sister and my mum inside the tent being a little scared. My dad and I used make a little ditch around our tent so the water could get away, instead of flooding our tent. Which has happend more then once. After we'd secured our tent we went over to our neighbours at the campsite and helpen them out. Also digging ditches and clearing their tent of water and lifting all their stuff.

I wish I could came in time and experience that all again.

butterflies in my tummy

 Something has come over me lately....

something new.....

something beautiful.....

something scary......

something exciting......

20 years later

Take That

 I do intend to write a full blog on these (originally 5) 4 men. They sure deserve it.
I've been a fan for over 18 years, so my obsession deserve a whole blog.

But I just had to do this quick one.
The first pic is TakeThats very first album cover.

The second pic is taken at their very last tour date of the Progress tour. Which was last Friday.

It isn't quite the same, but they tried LOL

It might be the last time they'll ever be on stage with the 5 of them.
Personally I would like it if they did some stuff together, every now and then. But no more tours. One was just enough thank you very much!!!

Hometown

I've been living in the same town all my life. I have moved 3 times within that town. Twice within the same area.

It's not very likely that I'll move from my hometown (unless it's to my Home in the UK). I love it here! It's very close to the city and loads of schools and stuff for my son in the area. Also, my parents live just round the corner and I still depend heavily on them for taking care of my son when I'm away.

But things are changing.
I moved house a few months ago. The reason: because they're taking down the one I was living in.
It was build in the 1930s. The housingcompany decided that it was too outdated to even renovate. The house I moved to was luckier. They decided that was good enough to be renovated. Which is what they did about a year ago. Eventhough I'm happy in the house I'm living in, I'll be sad to see my old house go. I lived there for 7 years and 7 months. It's the first home my son remembers (he doesn't remember living with me at my parents house from his birth to when he was nearly 3). It's also been the first house of just the 2 of us.

My old house: the door next to the tree.

A part of my area has been been fenced off, ready to be taken down within the next few weeks. My old house and a few others will be taken down next year.

The other day I decided to have a walk in my area to take some pics. To remember what it looks like now. I don't wanna forget what it all looks like. I grew up here, played on these streets and walked on these pavements millions of times, to and from school.
And now they'll be taking down everything, and building all new stuff. Apparently they'll be building appartments for the elderly.

My old street

hand written letters

These days making contact with new people, and staying in touch with those poeple isn't so difficult. You have Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, LiveJournal, MySpace, Interpals and all these other netwerk sites. Sharing stories, updates and pics is so easy. You can even do it with your phone.

I must admit, I too have registered to a few of those sites. And I really love it. It keeps me updated on everything I want to be kept updated on. And yes, I too am keeping in touch with people on those sites.
 
But for years I have loved the old fashioned way of keeping in touch. Hand written letters. And preferably long letters. I love writing and receiving long letters. I love coming home to find letters and little packages on my doormat.

I love the anticipation of coming home from work and walking up to my frontdoor to see what's waiting for me. I always feel a little sad and disappointed when I see the doormat empty. I'm not disappointed in my penpals, but in my postie. I want him to bring me something every day. And I don't mean bills or commercial stuff.
Finding the letters, rushing to open them and then sit down comfortable to take my time to read them. I also always take my time to reply. I can write 6 to 7 and sometimes even more page letters. At times, I just can't seem to stop. It's just so releiving to just let all your frustrations and life stories run out through a pen on paper.

 My penpals are very special to me. I love sitting down and putting my thoughts to paper.I used to keep a diary. In a way, my penpals are my diary now. It does take me sometime to put a face to the letters I receive and write. In the beginning it's difficult to amagine a person on the 'other end of the letters'. It's not 'just words', but it's difficult to imagine someone reading your letter, and replying to it. Like an actual person. Am I making any sence?
My penpals all live abroad. I love learning about their lives and habits. It's amazing how just writing letters to each other can turn into an amazing friendship. Eventhough I have had many more penpals in the past (over 40 in my teenage years), I lost touch with them, I still think about some of them ever now and then.
I love all my penpals. But there are 2 that are extra special to me. One in the UK and one in the USA. The one in the UK I have already met a few times. And even in 'real life' we get on great!
I'm dying to meet my friend in the USA. I'm hoping to see her somewhere within the next 2 years! She's amazing!!!

With my love for writing also comes my love for stationary. Pens, papers, note pads, stickers, decorative writing paper. I love it! When I go into a stationary shop, I'm like a kid a sweetshop. A kid at Christmas.
I love looking at it, touching it, buying it and using it!

song

A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes
I screamed aloud, as it tore through them, and now it's left me blind

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat
I tried to find the sound
But then, it stopped, and I was in the darkness,
So darkness I became

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map
And knew that somehow I could find my way back
Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

By Florence and the Machine 'Cosmic Love'

Home

When you ask someone about their home, they'll tell you about their house.

For some people there home/house is a castle.

For others it's a tiny hut.

And some people prefer to have their home/house on wheels.

But what makes something your home?
Is it the house you live in? The area that your house is in? Or the people you share your house with?


Another requirement of what home is, is that you feel safe there. At ease, comfortable and basicly don't wanna leave that place, or that feeling. A safe haven, somewhere where you'll know no-one will hurt you. A place you can always go back to. Where you can have friends over, or be there all by yourself. Your own little bubble where you can walk around naked when you want to, cry whenever you feel like it. 

And can you have more 'homes' then 1? Not as in buildings, but as in what that word 'home' means to you?

I've lived in my town all my life. It's a lovely town. I feel safe, it's familair, I really do feel at home. Within that town I recently moved house. It took me some but I now do love my new house. It's smaller then the old one, and I love that it's so cosy! It's my little safe haven. I love being at home.
So for me this is my home: this new house in this town.
I can't see myself living anywhere else. With 1 exception.

Ever since I was a teenager I love Engeland. I have a real passion for that country. I love going there. I've seen quite a few places in England. But no where near enough. My fave city is London. I call it my second home. And it really is. Not because of how often I go there, as I don't go there often enough. But because of how I feel when I'm there. Whenever I've been to London and I come home, I'm so moody for 2 or 3 days. And it's getting worse. Last time I got back I had real trouble getting back intom my normal routine. I did not want to leave that place. It's my home, it's where I fel safe and where I wanna be. I so desperately wanted to pick up my son and take the first plane back to London.

We (my friend and I) decided we would go back to The Netherlands for 'an extended periode of time'. I like the way that sounds.
I wish I could live in London for a few years...maybe never leave. London really is a home for me. I feel at home there. Safe and comfortable. When I'm there, I don't want to go back to The Netherlands, no matter how much at home I feel here.




Maybe one day, I'll be going there, without a return ticket.......