It’s always spring…

Lavinia, Sunday, January 31, 2021

“… In the eyes of the dental assistant”, who still knows that number?

From Peter de Koning, that’s how Google tells me 😉.

It is strange, but somehow it turns out to be just like that over here. The past few days we have real summer temperatures. And I mean really summery, because it was always around 28 ° C in the shade! Delicious!

You just forget the misery for a while.

Source : depositphotos

Because, I admit, the fact that we too have now been imposed a number of stricter measures so that the renewal works cannot continue for the time being, and we also have to revise and reinvent our business plan and ideas (for the 100th time or so), requires a lot of energy. Always crawling out of that negative spiral, because it looks that 2021 again will not be like a “normal” year after all. Organizing a weekend event (our Valentine’s event) is already a feat, let alone if you have to make adjustments every time, or worse, start all over again in advance due to the constantly changing rules. We could also just let it go and wait until there is more perspective again. But we are not like that.

No, not at all, we are looking ahead, that’s the only way to go, come on, hop with the goat!

Early this morning – at 5 a.m. – we suddenly had a hunge to develop a new idea. The enthusiasm of both of us grew by the minute. And the more we talked about it, the greater the “eagerness” to get started and fly into it. So now we are brainstorming, informing, developing ideas, making lists (there you have my make-up-lists-urge again), and trying out. But, as long as this is not already in a nice jacket, our lips are sealed. I would say keep an eye on social media! (*)

Source : Suppliesonlineshop

It goes without saying that we took advantage of the nice weather to get to work outside. For months I had been collecting seeds of the most diverse flowers and vegetables, taking cuttings from plants. “Ana’s Cave”, as Wim has dubbed my TV room ditto private relaxation area, was full of glasses with cuttings in them, seeds stored in tiny boxes of each type, pots of soil – nothing seems to grow out of them. Everything on the windowsill, to catch as much light as possible.

The sun and the wonderful temperatures were the starting signal for me to start sowing and planting. Not something I really like to do, but for some reason, I liked it now anyway. It provided mental relaxation, dirty hands (who cares anyway?). And the idea that delicious fruits will soon grow again made the job pleasant.

The wonder of nature: allowing tiny seeds to germinate, and – after a lot of patience – being happy with the first green that suddenly starts to emerge above the earth. How the vulnerable looking mini-petal or stilt appears to be immeasurably strong, and with all its force pushing the earth up on top of it. It seems banal, it seems silly, but it fascinates me. I used to think completely differently about that. I just bought it in the shop, the vegetables, pay at the till, and that’s it. And although I never saw anything other than vegetables from the garden at home, I only saw the work that went with it.

Source : Youtube

I don’t think my parents grew their vegetables with the same eyes, emotion and wonder, I’m sure. And how it suddenly comes that, at the age of 51, I have become just like a child, discovering the world and nature full of curiosity, I don’t know. Of course we live very close to nature here. But you can see without looking too. And look, amazed and mesmerized by what lives and is present around us; it is a revelation to me. Sometimes I catch myself going a little far. Yesterday I was preparing beans, flat beans. No idea what they are called, but when I cut them into pieces and saw the seeds, I couldn’t resist picking some out. Hopefully they are now sprouting in a dish on the windowsill. I am curious if I will succeed.

In any case, I know that we and our guests really enjoyed the fresh vegetables we served last season. It may be my imagination, but I tasted the love with which I sowed them together with Delfien, with which Wim and I planted them. That one shiny red pepper on our plate evokes a multitude of memories of people, of experiences.

Source : Youtube

Like the fact that unfortunately we also let them overgrow with weeds. But also that Yvon has lovingly liberated them from their unwanted armor, giving them air, light and freedom to allow them to flourish and grow to the full. And she was also inspired to grow vegetables herself. That it was a lot more work to rinse the lettuce than the one from the store. The memory of the snail that falls into the sink, or the earth that makes the rinse water dirty. But I didn’t mind. Because I knew that we – and many other hands – have realized these lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and you name it. And as the icing on the crown: the memory of the guests who visibly enjoyed the pure taste, the “crunchiness”, the freshness. I imagine that they too, could taste the flavor of the warm heart of Lavinia.

Source : Schrijfzolder

Hasta luego,

Ana

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