no time!

I would love to blog more (not in the least because blogging generally means me sitting in a room all by myself in silence, blissful silence) but now is simply not the time for cow blogging! Just typing that sentence used up all the time I had allowed myself at the computer. So I will, once again, keep the chitter-chatter to a minimum and try to dazzle you with pictures, so you won't even notice the lack of text.

We left mom and dad home to enjoy the silence, and we braved the cold and the large number of children to visit the Winter Efteling! Lucky for us Liz wanted to come along, a much needed extra pair of hands (and extra lovely smile!). It was cold, but there were fires that brave Efteling cast-members kept going all day long so that all visitors could warm up in between rides.

winter wonderland

Had enough of people gushing over how beautiful the snow is? Stop reading here then, for I am an avid snow-lover. We've had some actual snow storms around here and it seems like we'll be having ourselves a white Christmas. And since my sister made it over safely with the kids, I don't care whether planes can land anymore! 

(It's all about MEEEEEEEEE)

Sledding is the BEST. Let it snow!

i knew i wasn't the only one

Remember how in my last post I talked about needing to see different realities in order to be inspired so we can do and create?

Meet Yokoo.

I found this little clip about her today and absolutely love it. Her words tie in with that last post perfectly, and she's a crocheter to boost!

<3

never judge a book by its movie

As you may have noticed, I am the kind of gal who goes completely bananas about an activity for a while and then suddenly stops doing it (or to that crazed extent) and moves on to the next activity. Sometimes this is very useful because in the process I acquire new and handy skills such as crocheting and cooking/baking. Other times, like the time I started learning Russian, they end in disaster and feelings of utter incompetence.... and occasionally I manage to aimlessly black out entire weeks of my life, like the time I went on that 'omgihavetowatcheverythingrelatedtorandynewman'-craze. I might still be on that one actually.

Anyway. The reason I'm telling you this is A) because I feel like if I don't share stuff my life is meaningless and B) because it's an intro to this post's topic; books. Lately I have been reading a lot of books. Allow me to compile a list of books I've read in the last few months (for your sake I am excluding the infinite number of fairytales and pop-up books about cars).

Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger

the Twilight saga - Stephenie Meyer

If On A Winter's Night a Traveler - Italo Cavali

On The Road - Jack Kerouac

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

Relentless - Dean Koontz

Elle s'Appelait Sarah - Tatiana de Rosnay

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

One of the reasons I'm giving you a list of books I've read (and enjoyed) is to welcome any and all tips on other good books. I love to switch around with genres. My usual MO is classic - easy to read thriller/fantasy - modern novel. I also love biographies but haven't felt the inclination to read any as of late, but feel free to share thoughts on those as well. I try to read books in the original language when that language is Dutch or English. I've read a few in French but I am by no means fluent so I'll usually go for a translation.

When reading I always try to remember these two quotes:

Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.  

- P.J. O'Rourke

and

The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.  

- James Bryce 

 

There are of course many many reasons why reading is important. One thing that always comes to my mind is that it is really the only way to really step out of our own reality and into that of a complete stranger, and therefore the only way to really see something differently than ever before. And that inspires. And when you are inspired you are want to do and create, and doing and creating are good for the soul.

Finally, some random facts about me and books:

1. I started writing a book in Dutch when I was 13 about a girl who finds out she's a witch and meets Michael Jackson. I'm pretty sure I could have given J.K. Rowling a run for her money had I finished the thing.

2. My favourite author is Kurt Vonnegut

3. My first ever job at 14 was at a bookstore.

4. Yes, I am an old-book-sniffer.

5. If you were to try to read just the titles of every book ever written, it would take you your entire life (and I'm being optimistic and assuming you'll live to be 90) without sleeping.

6. My Favourite book is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.

7. Mmmm, chocolate.

Have a great Sinterklaas-weekend everybody!!

i win i win!

Remember how I used to have pictures in my blog posts? That might start happening again soon because we found our camera! Man I was so worried we had lost it. I had just assumed it had disappeared sometime during all the crap-shovelling that goes on in this house on a daily basis and was expecting to find it next to half a mouldy apple underneath a bed next year during Spring cleaning. I almost got it right too: it was in one of the diaper bag's secret compartments, together with a dried out banana peel. Expect pictures again shortly!

I had a bit of a victory today.

I have been battling the evil empire called Neckermann for two months now. It all began when my darling husband gave me a stand mixer for my Birthday this year. All you regular blog readers know this is a vital tool in the Koot kitchen. Unfortunately there is a fundamental wrongness to a woman not picking her own stand mixer and that darling husband of mine, though he meant well and I love him for it, picked a piece of crap. It reminded me of {insert name of random half witted reality tv star here}: shiny but not even slightly useful.

I didn't want to make Sander feel bad so I really TRIED to like the thing. I gave it a good few months before I threw in the towel. The breaking point came when it ruined my umpteenth attempt at butter-cream frosting with its inability to simply cream together butter and sugar. Covered in goop and close to crying I took matters in my own hands and called Neckermann to tell them exactly what I thought about their product.

They didn't care. 

They didn't care that by the time I got the mixer their 7 day trial period was already over, or that they sold me a product of low quality. They didn't care that I couldn't make the butter-cream of my dreams or that the thought of facing the Holidays with this hopeless mixer filled me with fear. They most certainly did not care that I wanted my money back so I could put it toward the much sturdier and infinitely cooler, cherry-red KitchenAid of my dreams. My sole option was to send it in for repair. 

So I boxed it and they had it picked up on October 15th. The big wait began. The Holidays crept up on me, and I found myself going through Thanksgiving dinner preparations with a sore mixing arm, and the fear returned at the prospect of December without a mixer! So I called up my good friends at Neckermann to find out what the progress was. Surely they would have made some progress in a month and a half? A day and many phone calls filled with questions such as 'what was the shipping number again, mrs Koot?' later, they sheepishly admitted that they couldn't find my crappy mixer. I jumped for joy while I told the lady on the phone how awful I thought their service was and that surely now their only option would be to give me a full refund. She wasn't going to do it at first, but I cut her off quickly, speaking very sternly and quickly mentioning something about this not being in the terms of agreement and...

... she caved! 

I won!

HA!!

Oh how sweet it is. It's little things like this I tell you! So I feel good to face the rest of this week, despite having been sick yesterday and today, because it looks like I will be going into the month of December armed with the Mixer of Mixers, the beautiful KitchenAid!