02 March, 2024

Farewell to winter


Buds, beautiful buds
Outside my window, they're born
My heart is aglow. 

Photo by Theo Onic on Unsplash

18 February, 2024

The day after the ballet


Cold winter morning
Misty drops slide down windows
Friends come for breakfast.

17 February, 2024

Birthday gift

 

Beyond excited
Breathless movement in music
Ballet night tonight.

Dogs and Italians not allowed


Sometimes, the beauty of art mingles between innocent joy and deep sadness. We watched this movie this week. It still rests heavily on my spirit. The fact that Giui and his family share many experiences in this film makes it all the more heart-rendering.


 

11 February, 2024

Not looking where I am going

Fog on steeple
Hides copper, mortar, and brick
I slip on wet leaf.

10 February, 2024

I am... an editor

This is rather strange, but I love editing other people's works. I am something between a development editor and a line editor. It is not a skill I have learnt formally. My editing skills have been honed through years of reading, writing, and, most importantly, being given the privilege to help colleagues, friends, and family polish their work.

Currently, I am editing a PhD titled, "The role of innovation for the implementation of the Circular Economy in the construction and manufacturing industries in Germany". I am around a third of the way through. This means that now it starts getting interesting. Thankfully, it is so well-written that I am under the illusion that I understand what is being said.

There is a feeling of joy to dive down deeply into a world I know next to nothing of and rise back to the surface with a new piece of treasure in my hands. 

28 January, 2024

I am... a mother

I am a mother 
Whose daughter is brave and strong 
Sometimes, but rarely, reproach 
Secretly slips out from behind her eyes. 
Who am I not to be judged? 

I am a mother 
Whose daughter is softness and steel 
She often speaks words so generous 
And kind, my heart stops beating 
How can she be this grand? 

I am a mother 
Whose daughter is quiet and scared 
Whispering in the dark night 
For me to comfort her ghosts. 
How can I fail to answer? 

I am a mother 
Whose daughter sees me growing old 
And yearns so desperately to stop 
The inevitable ticking of time. 
How can her wish not be mine?

Leaves in a mist

 

Dreams of a jungle
Wandering through the moist air
Bliss, deep breaths in... out.

27 January, 2024

Looking up at the night sky

Suddenly full moon
Collecting the laundry
Here you are old friend. 

24 January, 2024

Stuck in a job while everyone else has moved on

 She rises each morning with a sigh. Her face, without its makeup, shows the cracks of despondency she so wishes to hide. From herself. Who cares about the others? As an old person who exercises the chinks in their joints before leaving the comfort of their bed, she seeks small mercies to start the day. There's Miff, her cat, needing food and a pat. 

She has the luxury of those houses before her late shift. Time to do much or nothing at all. Part of her wants to kick off as many items from her to-do list as possible. They have been hanging their accusingly for weeks now. She senses how futile it is to remove any of the items since the moment they disappear, others instantly replace them. This thought adds to her lethargy. 

She sighs again and turns over in bed, escaping back into sleep. Hours later, Miff is desperate to drag her back to her world and the need for her to move.

So, she reluctantly rolls out of bed, most of the day having played away. She swoops Miff in her arms and buries her face into her neck, whispering a profound apology. The cat jumps out of her arms. Directing her towards the kitchen. Guiltily, she spoons out an extra large portion. 

She crouches beside Miff as she eats. Arms hugging her knees, head resting on her right shoulder, she daydreams.

23 January, 2024

Before the crowds descend

The breakfast buffet
Welcomingly waits for the guests
I sit alone here.

(Business trip to Copenhagen.)

21 January, 2024

I am... not an old hippie


Many people think
Baby boomer means hippie
I wish it were so.

As someone who spent all my teenage years in a ballet studio during the day and many evenings and was in love with classical music, jazz, and Gregorian chant, I find it puzzling how many people assume I am an old hippie. I was 12 years old when Woodstock happened. 

And yes, my two sisters were more in love with the whole psychedelic vibes of that time, but they did this covertly and never let on to their far too-uncool younger sister.

14 January, 2024

Hope eternal

 

Snowy icy days
Yet, in my dreams spring bursts forth
I keep my eyes closed.

12 January, 2024

I am... a Kindle reader

Photo by Asal Lotfi on Unsplash

Much to the disgust of many of my friends, I have been a Kindle reader since it came out over 15 years ago. The three arguments that have kept me so are:
  • A lot of what I read is not worth sawing down Canadian forests for
  • I love to read numerous books at once, depending on where I am and what my mood is
  • It is so much easier to read in bed than a book

Nevertheless, a friend of mine, Charlotte, recently published the findings of a study that stated readers of IRL books remember more than when they read e-books. That made sense because I remember handwritten notes much better than typed notes. So, maybe the tactility of books helps the brain to remember more. 

Then there is the fact that our dear daughter spent a laborious two days doing magic on our bookshelves in the living room. I rediscovered a slew of books to read again. And finally, since we have been with Amazon since it was only a bookstore, we have shamefully bought hundreds of books, so we can either reread some of them or order books at our local store.

Now, the punchline to this post...

I was rereading a favourite book of mine and was so enthralled with the story that I caught myself tapping the side of the page instead of turning it.

10 January, 2024

I am... a fan of K-dramas

 
diary entry
It is a point of disbelief.
Sometimes, endearment,
But only a few truly understand
Why I love watching 
Korean dramas as much as I do. 

07 January, 2024

In the dark of the morning

Taking down the tree
Sniffles and coughs and winter blues
Permeate my thoughts. 

05 January, 2024

This year's theme: Who am I?

 

This year's theme will be "Who am I?". Stay tuned for more...

03 January, 2024

Daring darling Dylan

 
Our daughter is about to start a job at the German Space Agency. Yup, you got it; she's found a unicorn job in her field of space security. Feeling so chuffed about this.

Tripped across this photo of her making her first attempt as a rocket pilot. Following valiantly beside her is her cousin Dylan. You cannot see it in the photo, but there is a long decline and she's picking up speed. 

01 January, 2024

Learning again


It has been years now since I used Photoshop and made collages, let alone used Illustrator to make vector graphics and layouts of documents. I feel this inclining to go back and learn again how to use these programs. It will be an upward slog, no doubt. 


So, I bought Affinity, which appears to be much the same and oh so much more affordable. 

It has taken me days to create the above on Affinity Photo. I drew the main parts as a cut-out and then sketched in the textures and patterns. I am going to make a paper-cut-out version of this for my visual diary.

In the 1990s, I had the idea of learning how to use Photoshop. At that time, there was no easy way to learn except to take very expensive courses at some institute, which was too much for my bank account, considering the price of Photoshop. 

So, I made a deal with the owner of a local graphic studio for whom I did some translating. We bartered my translating fees for one-on-one lessons with the owner. Now, all I have to do is go and watch tutorials on Skillshare.

30 December, 2023

Just me waiting for the dawn

It is dark outside
Christmas lights no longer shine
Household still sleeping.