I need this!!!

I know right, two posts in a day? I must be crazy. I just discovered something and I want to remember this so I'm blogging about it!

So after stitching for an hour it started again, the pain in my shoulder. I now know why. It's because my Q-snaps are resting on my right arm and since I am stitching with both hands my right arm is in a weird position: it tries to keep the frame in place and in the same movement it tries to stitch. And since Train is nearing the end there is a lot of weight. All in all: my shoulder gets cramped!

I am happy to know what's been causing my pain, because now I can look for a solution. I think I need a floor stand so my right arm can move freely. I have looked at floor stands before but never seriously considered buying one. Most of them are so big and expensive! I have no money to buy one now and I have no room for one.
This time I searched again and found a Dutch plan to build a floor stand myself. Looks nice and I have a friend who could build it for me, but again, it's too big.
So then I found a floor stand by Stitchmaster. I got really excited, this looks exactly like I needed! Plus it is cheap!!! I searched for some reviews, lots of positive ones but some people also wrote the stand couldn't bring the work close enough and then read about the Lowery floor stand. I looked it up and I am convinced: I need this. It's made of metal (so it's easy to clean), it's easy to adjust the height, it takes almost no space and the price is agreeable. So now I am going to save for it! I have no idea when I am able to buy it, but I am so excited!!

So my goals for 2013 are now:
1. To finish Train of Dreams
2. To get a Lowery floor stand!
3. Start a new project

Happy 2013!

Happy 2013 to my dear readers! I hope this new year will bring much happiness to all of you!

We've just got back from a small holiday with the in-laws. We had a wonderful time but are happy to be back home! I've just finished all the laundry and I also put all the Christmas decorations away. The only thing left are the Christmas cards, I just love to look at them!

This is my latest update from 2012:

I'll work on it tonight and I can't wait!! I am so going to finish this in 2013!!!

I've been home from work now since Christmas. I needed this so much!! I am finally feeling relaxed again. I will go back this Monday and I am happy to do so. I have so much more energy (and positive feelings!) than before. 

Merry Christmas!

From my house to yours:

Merry Christmas!!!

Today I have been busy cooking broccoli-stiltonsoup. It's a recipe by Gordon Ramsey and it's pretty easy. What I love most about it is I can cook it the day before and finish it just before serving. My kind of Christmas food!

We (meaning I) will plenty of stress already since we are expected in church in my hometown tomorrow at 9.45 in the morning!! It means we will have to leave at 8. It will be the first time Boyfriend will experience a church service in my hometown. I come from a pretty conservative town and I am not looking forward to all the looks I know we will get tomorrow. They will probably talk slow to my boyfriend and will think he is an immigrant. While he is in fact 10x brighter than they are and speaks impeccable Dutch (he was adopted when he was a baby).
My family will be delighted to see us. After church we will go to Grandma and auntie for coffee and meet up with the rest of my family (my other aunt with her family)! After coffee we will go to my parents' house and have dinner!

I am also so happy to tell you I have been stitching again! Every day I stitch a little bit, making sure I sit up straight and stretch my shoulders and arm. I have been in physical therapy for two months now. It is slowly getting better. My hand is working again but my neck and shoulders are stubborn. For almost 20 years they have been in a position they should not have been. So the muscles are fighting the new (and right!) position they are forced to take.
Anyway, I have a new picture later this week!!

New government!

Since yesterday my country has a new government:

The lady in the middle is our fabulous Queen Beatrix and the tall guy to her left (with the blue tie) our Prime Minister. This Cabinet is made of people of the VVD (liberal party) and PvdA (Labour, centre-left party), a true coalition and an interesting combination.

The plan they made for the next four years is daring and it made for a lot of uproar. It is going to hurt our wallets. I think it's necessary though. We need to live within our means. Something needs to be done about the mortgages. But still, all the measures are tough. I am trying to discover what it will mean for me but I still haven't figured it out. The first thing I will notice will be the cost of my health insurance I think. I am lucky to be very healthy and I do not need a lot of health care every year. I hope my physical therapy will be covered though.. I do not own a mortgage and I do not have children of my own yet.

I hope this Cabinet will last the next four years. My country needs it.

Today America will vote as well. Ofcourse we are following the elections (I like to watch foreign politics! Plus I am still trying to understand the voting system with electors - we just vote for a party (we can pick from I think 15 parties) and whoever has the most votes wins, also everyone who has the Dutch nationality aged 18 and up will get a voting billet in the mail). I am looking forward to wake up tomorrow morning and watch the news and hear the analysis.

On doctor's orders..

Hello everybody,

are you enjoying Autumn as much as I do? I love to see the changing leaves and to feel the change in temperature. Autumn so far has been mild here, without too much rain.

Unfortunately Autumn also brought me the flu. I haven't been so sick in years!! I spent a week in bed, watching tv and sleeping. After that week I went back to work, I was starting to get crazy of boredom! Too bad my cold still isn't over, so I visited my doctor to get some antibiotics. I hope they help.

I haven't touched a needle in 2.5 weeks. I miss it. But my right hand started to give the same problems like I had a few months ago (the pain was a 10, I could not even lift my hand). This time I visited a physical therapist and she discovered at the moment there is a serious difference in the movement of my right hand compared to my left hand! It's not permanent, I am told, but untill this is treated I am not going to do any needlework. Bummer!!! Hopefully next month..

Another page done!

Yay another page is done! This is page 9:

The past few days (well nights) I have been in a stitching frenzy according to the Boyfriend. But look at the cute planets!!! Next are pages 20 and 31!

Outside my building my hometown is celebrating an historical event, called Leidens Ontzet. Leiden remembers being freed of the Spanish in 1574 (this was during the 80 year of war against the (catholic) Spanish). The people of Leiden were starving at that time, they were under siege for several weeks. When the Spanish soldiers fled the gates opened and the people went outside and found Hutspot (a stew made of carrots, potatoes, unions and pork meat). Also, the Geuzen (in English: the Beggars) brought them haring and white bread. I am sure I have left some really important and interesting pieces out of the story
Until this day this is celebrated at October 3rd. With Hutspot, haring and white bread. My grandma, who was born in this city, has fond memories of the celebration.
But in these modern times also with lots of beer, carnival and music. On every corner of the street in the center of Leiden there is a small stage. I happen to live in the center. So when I sit in my living room I have a stage in front of my door, a carnival to the right, a carnival to the left and parking next to my building. The party tonight is till 2 in the morning and tomorrow till 3 in the morning.. I was not born in Leiden and did not grew up with this celebration. This party, the noise, it just doesn't do anything for me. I think it's because in the past I had to jump over puke and other human junk the day after to get to public transportation (or to my front door!), that completely ruined the fun for me!

But you know what? It IS very cool to celebrate something that happened more than 400 years ago! I love that!

Hello Autumn!

Oh glory, autumn has come! Leaves are slowly changing colour and the temperatures are dropping. It is also raining quite a bit.

Last week we had a teambuilding day from my work, we spent some time at Neeltje Jans I was afraid the weather would be awful but it actually was a really sunny day! It is always good to spend time with colleagues and to get to know them on another level.
It is going awesome at work. I have a new boss and some people have moved on to other positions in the company, giving more room for me! I have taken advantage of it and I am loving it, I feel so much more confident and capable!

In my personal life I have celebrated several birthdays. First the Girl's, then mine (the big 3-0) and my cousin's. I am not the person for big parties so it was lovely to have my family around for a small celebration. My dad brought fresh rhubarb, tomatoes and a huge red pepper from his garden. Loved it! I hope one day to have a house with a garden..

We also visited lots of Monument's on National Open Monument Day. We visited the Botanical Garden's, the Observatory, the Academic Building, a church and on Sunday we visited a Synagogue and a Medieval house and cellar. I had never been in a Synagogue before so I was very excited about it! There were lots of Monuments open for the public but several had waiting lines and that's not something we like to do when we have the Girl with us.

My country also voted last week. I think I am happy with the results, now the new government needs to be formed. It's an exciting time!!

Because autumn is officially here today, I have been changing the furniture arrangement in my living room and most of my summer wardrobe has been put away and autumn/winter clothes are brought in. My heating system has been checked out this morning, everything works so I will stay warm this winter!
I have also been doing some deep cleaning. I think I have told before I am not much of a housekeeper. It's never dirty though in my house, but every once in a while it gets to me and I need to CLEAN the kitchen and every closet in my house.

Train of Dreams is riding along nicely, I have finished two books so far: