Selling my house

Today i will sell my house. At 11.15 i have an appointment at the solicitor.

This is a mixed bag of emotions. One part of me is sad. I will loose ownership of the house i have lived in for the past twenty two years with pleasure. I can remain living here for the next two years, but after that i do need to move out and find another place to live. Two years is nice, but it’s not that long really.

Another part of me is happy. Over the years i have accumulated a decent amount of overvalue. I will get this money at my disposal. I can use this money to live of for the next four to five years.

I will treat myself a bit over the next weeks. My computers are getting old. The newest one is my laptop from 2011. I will upgrade my iPad, my iMac, my iPhone. I will also buy myself a decent camera. I will show you once i get them, together with my thoughts on why these specific items. It will bring new content to ellenpronk.com.

I am fully trusting myself in this. Yes, there is hurt. But also freedom. To make my life my own. To make this place work. To make myself work. More.

Salute!

Published on January 22, 2018 at 6:00 by
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My story

In a week’s time i will sell my house. I admit, i feel sad about it. I will remain here for the next two years, so that does soften the blow a bit. I will get some money, from which i can live for the next four or five years.

It is a mixed bag. For now, i feel happy. I will get some new computer stuff. I will keep on working. And two years does feel like a awful long time. I am hoping things will change in that time for me. I will work hard for that.

For now, i will keep on posting as long as i have internet at home. It could be i’m out of it the next few days. Next week it’ll be back on. I do feel tired. But be sure, i will not give up.

Bye bye!

With love, Ellen

Published on January 16, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Parsnip cake

A sunny day. This evening we will be looking at the stars and the planets. Maybe the moon as well. I don’t know if it is visible here. We’ll see!

This morning i baked a parsnip cake for Daniël. Yesterday i made pumpkin soup for this evening. A bit spicy, with a large winter carrot, a parsnip, onions, garlic, ginger, three hot peppers. I hope it is nice. Spicy.

Ingredients

  • 160g whole flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tsp cinnamon or mixed spice
  • 1 tsp cardamom
  • 150ml vegetable oil
  • 200g light soft brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • half an orange juice
  • 200g finely grated parsnips
  • 80g raisins or sultanas

How to

  1. Place the flour in a bowl and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom and the baking soda, put to one side.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large loaf tin with parchment.
  3. Beat the sugar with the oil with a hand held or in a standing mixer. Add the eggs and the orange zest and beat in well. Stir in the grated parsnips followed by the flour and mix it in. Stir in the raisins.
  4. Bake for around 50 minutes.

I discovered some old Wire gig footage on youtube this weekend. Here is one for you.

Published on January 15, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Simone de Beauvoir

Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.

Simone de Beauvoir 1908 – 1986
Introduction to Simone de Beauvoir’s ‘The Second Sex’

Simone de Beauvoir on Atheism, the Ultimate Frontier of Hope, and the Need to Move Beyond the Simplistic Divide of Optimism and Pessimism

Simone de Beauvoir on Art, Science, Freedom, Busyness, and Why Happiness Is Our Moral Obligation

Published on January 11, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Drawing in the garden

It wasn’t a premonition to draw more this year. But this is what i am doing. The past two days in the garden i did make drawings. With pencil, charcoal, conte carré. It is not really about the drawing itself. Not about making something beautiful. It is about looking intensely around me. Basically, i can draw anything.

It does remind me of a time a long while ago, before i went to art school. I would like to get that back. That feeling of discovery. Of looking around. Intensely. Measuring with my eyes. All the distances which are elements of what i am looking at. Being quiet within myself.

I also walked about the garden. I saw these roots with tiny green leaves popping out. Supposedly chicory. Also some tiny apples still on the trees. Four or five centimeters wide. Wonderful.

Published on January 10, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Walking

This Monday morning the sun was shining. It was cold. I got dressed, put on my shoes and coat, a warm scarf and went outside.

First i walked to the garden. Yesterday i took two empty bottles with me to fill with water. Today i brought them back and put them in the shed. I watched the birds. A great tit. Yes, a koolmeesje. The pallet was back! Yesterday i couldn’t find it.

I walked past the central station. Standing at the Christmas tree for a short time, talking to the men who were getting the lights out. Wondering where the tree was headed to. Walking through the Gouvernestraat. Looking in the shop Das Brot. Still closed. Walking through the Marqt. Two months ago it closed and moved to the Nieuwe Binnenweg. Where the old Centrum Beeldende Kunst was. Nothing remains. I talked with the man behind the cheese counter for a short while.

Walking past the shops, the Westerpaviljoen, Museum Boymans. Into the Zeeman. Just curious. Buying myself a sandwich chicken curry. Sitting on the Lijnbaan and eating it slowly. Watching the faces of the people walking by. The people eating something. The children. Walking to Amac. Hmm. I don’t want to buy my new things there. No no no. I’d rather go the an Apple store.

Walking over the Meent. It is still cold. The sun is hiding behind the clouds.

Walking back home.

Published on January 9, 2018 at 6:00 by
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