frontgarden

Marcel called last Wednesday, asking if we were home the next two days, so he could come to redo our frontgarden.

We asked him some time ago if he would redo our frontgarden. Marcel is a horticulturalist and runs a small company (Alklust). Redoing the frontgarden was to much to do ourselves. We planned to do this in the fall, but a few weeks back we told Marcel that we would not mind if he could do it sooner.

This was how the frontgarden looked, when we bought the house (September 2005):
A lot of work was done on Thursday and Friday:


Now the frontgarden looks like this:
Today I planted a red Japanese Maple and we bought a tree bench so we can sit under the Cedar tree.

found

Ed was found today!

We are so releaved, sigh

missing

You read about it, or see it on the television: sombody is missing. For a moment you think "too bad for those left behind" and you go on with your doings.

But now it is different, a friend of ours is missing. The first days I hoped it was just a bad dream, but now the harsh truth is sipping through: our friend Ed Butler is missing since last Friday.

We know eachother for allmost ten years, I met his wife Henny on a Dutch mailinglist about dogs and after some time we met. Back then Ed and Henny lived in Vught and we lived in Rotterdam. At some point Frank went with me and the four of us went along very well.
Ed and Henny moved to Lelystad in 2003 and we stayed a few times at their place. We started to like Lelystad and two years later we moved to Lelystad too. They live close by.

On Friday morning Ed took the dogs for their morning walk, but never arrived on his work. He took his bike and has not been seen since.

Hundred questions, hundred possible explanations run through our heads. What has happend?
The police is searching, but has no clues either.

Ed was always busy, with work, with the dogs and their flock of sheep. Always ready to help out, when I was too sick to take out the Chows, he would come over and walk them for me. Both Chimay and especially Gladdich love their "Uncle" Ed...

Thoughts keep popping up.

Oh please Ed, I am hoping and praying that you will return soon, we miss you.

a sign of life

Back in the land of the living... I barely survived the past month.

On May 8th I had to be re-examined for my disabillity, it was terrible, no humanity, no compassion, just the law requires this examination, no matter in what state you are.
Gladdich did his job, tried to make me focus on him, but in no time I scratched my arm until it was bleeding and I dissociated too.

I did not want Frank to come with me, it is so hard to see your partner going through something like this, but I fainted right away, so they went to get him (he was waiting in the car, together with Chimay).

I survived the weeks after by working in the garden, pulling out weed, trimming the shrubs and trees, that is better as self-mutulation :-(
Luckely there is a lot to do in the garden, I filled 4 big containers the last two weeks.

Last week I got a letter from the examination, only stating all limitations in work, now it is waiting on the work-expert, who will make the final descision.

books

Before we moved from Rotterdam to Lelystad we sold a substancial part of our book collection. We don't have the space for them here.
All books are in a database in my computer, but I still did not remove the books that were sold. Frank and I started in september, I printed out writer and title and marked the books in the shelves. This month we finally did the last shelves and I updated the database: in Rotterdam we had 3450 books, now there are 1818 left.

My collection of (mostly awarded) childrens books went from 1266 to 613, all picture books and informative books (and some others) were sold. But I am happy, no regrets about the sold books and glad with all that is left.

Yesterday I red the comments on movie premières, one was "Bridge to Terabithia". I have this book (it was awarded a Silver Pencil Award in 1983 here in the Netherlands and got a Newberry Medal award in 1978) and the comment made me read the book, first book I red in months and I finished it the same afternoon.
Jess Aarons had to be the fastest runner at Lark Creek Elementary School, the best, but when he was challenged by Leslie Burke, a girl, that was just the beginning of a new season in Jess's life. Leslie and her parents were new comers to the rural community where Jess lived, and were thought to be a bit odd, for they didn't even own a TV, though their house was filled with books. Some-what to Jess's surprise, he and Leslie became friends, and the worlds of imagination and learning that she opened to him changed him for ever. It was Leslie's idea to create Terabithia, their secret Kingdom in the woods where they reigned supreme. There no enemy - not their teacher Monster Mouth Meyers, their schoolmates Gary Fulcher and Janice Avery, Jess's Four sisters, or even Jess's own fears and Leslie's imaginary foes - could defeat them. The Legacy that Leslie finally brought to Jess enabled him to cope with the unexpected tragedy that touched them all. (from www.terabithia.com, Katharina Patersons website)

busy times... well for me it is

I had not much time/energy to write lately.

On March 22nd Gladdich was neutered, a bit early, but we expect Chimay coming in heat this month and did not want to take any chances on an "accidental breeding" between them. Gladdichs blind eye is an inhereted problem (microphthalmia), so he is not allowed to breed. He was also very male aggressive, so we hoped the neutering would make him a bit more mellow towards other male dogs. And indeed, he does not jump instandly onto other males anymore. But if there is growling towards Gladdich he still stands his ground, but this behavior is much easier to handle.

Chimay decided on March 21st it was time to start to play with Gladdich. Gladdich wanted to play when he arrived, but for some reason she did not play with a puppy. I a not sure why she changed her mind, maybe it was the start of spring, or the fact Gladdich had grown and finally was a bit taller as Chimay.

April 6th, 2007: Chimay and Gladdich playing in the garden

Anyhow, since that day they play almost every day in the garden. Chimay teaches Gladdich all kinds of play, I see playing-techniqes that Nemo used, passed on to Gladdich by Chimay.
On April 6th I took some photos from Chimay and Gladdich playing: photoalbum playing in the garden

Tuesday March 27th we went to my psychiatrist, this time an appointment for Frank too. Frank did some research on internet and found experimental use of Ritalin for CFS in the USA. My psychiatrist was willing to prescribe Ritalin to try. Ritalin is mailnly known to benifit children with ADHD, but is used too for those suffering from narcolepsy. Because Frank has a history of heart arhitmia and Ritalin has known side effects on the heart, he is taking very small doses of Ritalin. Now, after ten days he seems to have a bit more energy, but has headaches (Ritalin works for 4 to 5 hours, headaches after this time are also a side effect).
I tried to stop the Remeron, but that did not work well, I got all instable again with only Efexor, so I am back to Efexor in the morning and Remeron before bedtime...

Then there came a letter with questionaire for re-examening for my disability, if you get disability payment you have to be re-examined every five years.
I filled out the questionaire and mentioned I would take one of my dogs if I had to come to them, like I did 5 years ago.
Last week I got a response, only one sentence "in deliberation with the attending doctor we decided that you are not allowed to bring a dog", no motiavation, nothing and no sceduled appointment... I called about it and am waiting for the call back they promised.

On wednesday April 4th we went to Noordwijk, a place at the Nordsea coast. In spring mr and ms Choudhuri from Berlin (Germany) go there for a short holiday. They take their Chow Chows with them. They have a Chow from our first litter, Angel (Xin-Feng's Angel) a red rough male.

April 4th, 2007: Angel, Georgy, Chimay and Gladdich

Angel was very happy to see us again, last time we saw him was two years ago.
More photos from our visit: photo album April 4th, 2007.