Author Archives for Ellen

Working in the garden

Lovely weather
Working in the garden
The doornappel. Still standing in the garden, even though it is slightly poisonous and used for medicinal purposes. It looks lovely though
The playground being build. Feeling a bit negative about this. Too much being build, too much industrial stuff. Doesn't look good.
Too blue
Cleaning up the garbage being spread around the garden.
The new garbage bins being installed in the garden. We still need to talk about who is going to maintain them.
The garden
Evening primrose
The harvest: quinces, cabbage leaves and courgettes
Swans swimming in front of my house
Published on October 10, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Leave no trace

I watched the movie Leave No Trace Saturday evening. Loved it. Quiet, soft spoken. A father and daughter living in a national park. Taking care of themselves. Drinking water they have caught. Eating mushrooms they have picked. Practicing disappearing from view when somebody gets too close.

Then they get caught.

This is not a dreadful story. People are kind. Even the social workers are kind. But they do live far away from the experience of the two people. They live in the current ordinary world. Where people work. Live in a house. Go to school. Work. Have hobbies. Watch television. Not people with PTSD.

This movie is based on the book My Abandonment written by Peter Rock.

A high recommendation of this movie. Wonderful!

Published on October 8, 2018 at 6:00 by
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First reaction: Bohemian Rhapsody

The original first of all: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, 1975

No singing by me, this post shows reactions of people on hearing this song, sometimes for the first time. How that works i don’t know. There is a kids clip in this selection, they often know this song. I can not imagine how you can live in this world and not know this song.

And so many more!

A little bonus, the Live Aid performance by Queen

The last bonus, Wayne’s World Bohemian Rhapsody:

Published on October 5, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Visitors

This place is not visited by many people. I do hope i give each visitor something to think about, something to look at, something to enjoy. Something new maybe, at times. But other times i won’t.

I do have a Google Analytics counter on this website. I watch it once or twice a week. On average i’m between ten and twenty visitors a day. Sometimes a bit higher, up to fifty. Sometimes lower, below ten.

I am thinking about this counter. I do like all the things i can look up in Google Analytics. But there are many things i don’t use at all. A week ago i did a search for another solution. I came across Piwik, now called Matomo. This is a self-hosted solution with no limitations. It is still on my list of something to read and do research about.

Ii is the part where i share the visitor data of my website with Google which i am uncomfortable with. I don’t use ads, i don’t do any difficult things with the data. I simply do want an insight in the amount of visitors and where they are coming from and what they are reading.

The image below gives the top ten most visited pages of this website. The homepage is at the top. Second is my page about Björk. To my surprise. The archives and about page are coming next. Then it is The most expensive jewelry in the world. I did enjoy making this post. Did research for this, spend a long time searching and trying to find good images for this one. I can imagine why people enjoy looking at this too. Still, i do have many more interesting pages. Ooh well.

Next is my post about Alberto Giacometti. A painter i admired especially in the 80s. I’m glad people find this interesting. Still have a soft spot for his work.

Then does come one my own personal favourite posts: Scritti Politti – Roundhouse, London – 5 February 2016. A very personal post about something which might seem little to anyone else. To me it is very important. Something which to this day makes me very happy, that i was able to give these drawings to Green Gartside. I’m very happy this page is in the top ten. Good one!

True Love. Next on the list. Bit of a rambling post. Yes, about true love. In the world. Between people. In movies. And no, not for me. Not yet anyway. Still hoping it might happen someday.

Joy of Baking is a nice post about a youtube channel i have been following for years. To this day.

The contact page is the tenth number on this list. Just a bunch of information about where i have left footsteps and fingerprints.

I am still thinking about changing my analytics tool for this website. Or if i even need one. Hmm. I think i do. Too curious about the visitors.

Too curious about you.

*salute*

Published on October 4, 2018 at 6:00 by
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De kanarie in de kolenmijn

Anoher book from the library i have been reading over the past few weeks. A Dutch book this time, De kanarie in de kolenmijn (The canary in the coalmine). A book written by Marianne Thieme, current leader from the Dutch political Partij voor de Dieren and Ewald Engelen, professor Financial Geography at the University of Amsterdam. Both write one half of this book.

Ewald Engelen writes from a economical standpoint about the world’s current situation.

  • Scaling-up. Companies are getting larger. They use their power to influence politics and decision making. For their own advantage.
  • Debt. We live in increasingly larger amounts of debt.
  • Wrong measurement instruments. We determine a price not the value of something.

Marianne Thieme writes about biodiversity and ecology. Many species are becoming extinct. Also drinking water is a desperate need. We currently spend too much drinking water on our food and clothes, while we should spend it on nourishing people.

Both Ewald Engelen and Marianne Thieme come to the conclusion that we need to think and set our priorities differently. Not on money, but on the people and animals and plants living on this planet trying to make it liveable for themselves.

Published on October 3, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Models

Over the past weeks i have been watching more fashion related films on youtube. I will be doing some posts focusing on these movies. First is the models. Fashion models. These are the films that are standing out for me.

Haute le Mode
A recent discovery. He talks fast, critical. Might take some getting used to. Many reviews and roasts of fashion shows and public events.

George Michael’s videos with 90s supermodels

Freedom

Too Funky

Published on October 2, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Heart of Gold

The past few weeks, whenever this song came along, my heart jumped up. I have known this song since the early 70s. I did have the album, but i sold it when i was around sixteen years old. Still regret it to this day.

I hope you enjoy this version.

Neil Yong
Heart of Gold
I want to live, I want to give
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold
It’s these expressions I never give
That keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

I’ve been to Hollywood, I’ve been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I’ve been in my mind, it’s such a fine line
That keeps me searchin’ for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keeps me searchin’ for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

Keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold
You keep me searchin’
And I’m growing old
Keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold

Published on September 28, 2018 at 6:00 by
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A pleasant day

Nothing out of the ordinary really. I went to the shop Het kookpunt to look for a stand mixer. Way too expensive. After that i stopped by at home to change my shoes to slippers. It was a bit too warm to wear shoes. I stopped by the ice cream shop and sat outside eating my strawberry ice cream with whipped cream. Daniel came by on his bake. I yelled. We talked for a short while. Than i walked on to the Hema. No stand mixers there. Ooh well. I don’t really need one, i was only thinking about it. Past the supermarket and back to home.

And then ll the things i was thinking about while i was walking olong. The wind through the leaves. The sun shining on the water. The yellowing leaves. The eyes of people.

I did feel happy. I still do. Well, apart from what i am thinking about. Falling in love. Not yet. Not yet. Work. Work!

Published on September 27, 2018 at 6:00 by
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