This morning I weighed 101.6 kilos, so I lost 100 grams. Not much, but as long as I keep losing I am on the right track. Yesterday, I ate all the walnuts out of the baggie of mixed nuts. There weren’t that many, but still, it was very satisfying. But they were extra food that I didn’t need, so I am tossing away what is left over.
Queen’s day was the regular carnival that it always is. The poor queen survived another day of adoration by her people. We would have her bobbing for apples if we could get away with it. While she is being bombarded with our idea of entertainment and amusement, she just keeps smiling and looking entertained, although it basically is the same thing every year and by now she must be getting tired of it. The princes and princesses joined in the fun and danced and pulled rope etc. I think the best part is to see the people lined up cheering and singing when she walks by, because that is all so spontaneous and straight from the heart. That good old queen, she’s a real keeper.
I broke my own rule again and stayed up until 10 pm watching a program called Without a Trace, which is about people who have disappeared and whom they try to find. Usually they find at least one person in every program. It can be a bit sentimental, but it has a bit of excitement too, so you do get hooked watching it. Which is no excuse for me going to bed too late, of course. When I wake up at 6 am, I am not as alert as when I go to bed at 9 pm.
Yesterday wasn’t such an exciting day, I did my usual housework, but I did order another tunic on line with Eduard’s approval. We picked it out together and it will be here tomorrow. Eduard says, that now that I am losing the weight, it is important for me to keep looking good to keep the momentum going, and he compliments me every day on how I look. I think that is very sweet of him, but I do think that he is right. I dress as if I am already skinny and walk around feeling that way. I think it is a good approach and it gives off a different radiance to the rest of the world. In the meantime I look around at other people’s body shapes and calculate how I look compared to them and it isn’t all bad. It’s my stomach that is the real problem and watching that go down will be a real joy. I don’t want to necessarily lose any weight in my boobs, but I suppose I will. My under chin is becoming less, but needs to disappear all together. My legs look pretty good and so do my arms.
I walked Jesker 3 times yesterday, but at odd times, because we got the day started rather late. He doesn’t mind one bit, as long as he gets to sniff everywhere and raise his leg in all the usual spots. I am training him now to wait at a couple of other crucial places and he is starting to listen really well. They are places with little traffic, but I want him to learn to wait until I am completely caught up with him before he goes on, and he is starting to figure it out. So, you can teach an old dog new tricks. The thing I like best, is when he starts rolling around on the grass like he is a little puppy and sometimes he forgets that he is old and starts running around for no reason at all. I wish I knew more about his background. At first he wouldn’t give kisses or receive them, even though he knew what the word meant, but now he does, because I just kept trying it. He still doesn’t like to be hugged too closely, so we don’t do too much of that, but he does come and want lots of petting and attention and he loves to be rubbed on his stomach. His eyes take on a glazed over look then.
For some reason, completely unbeknownst to me, the cats like their food again, both beef and poultry and duck and poultry, so go figure. It’s all a mystery to me, but I’ll keep giving them that for as long as it lasts.
Today is the day of Labor, May the first. It’s not a national holiday and we don’t have any barbeque’s, but it is important to keep it in mind, so we will hang out the Socialist Party flag. I suppose we should be singing the International while we raise the flag, but I don’t know the words to that one. Eduard is going to be wearing his SP T-shirt with the tomato on it. The tomato stands for No. No to the established order of things.
It’s supposed to be getting cooler this week and next week we are actually going to get some rain, which will be none to early. Still, the sun is going to be out all week, but there will be a wind from the east that cools things down a bit. Winds form Russia always cool things down. What do you think about the Estonians moving the statue of the Soviet soldier and the Russians making such a big stink about it? It would be as if the Germans had stayed here in the Netherlands and had built a statue to honor an SS soldier. I can understand the Estonians wanting to move it to a cemetery. That is still enough of an honor. I think the Russians are being big bullies about this. Feedback people!
The thing I like about the BBC News is the feature called “Have Your Say”, in which people can comment on a particular subject. This sometimes causes many heated reactions and I normally only read the first page of them. Still, it is interesting and they have one on the Soviet soldier. I commented on the Iraq war once, and then was contacted by email by the BBC if they could call me for a show to let my views be known on the air. I didn’t do this, because I absolutely would have frozen up and would have been unable to talk about it at all on the air, but still it was a sort of compliment.
Thinking of my sister’s critical comment to me the other day, I am thinking of reading that book that I have titled “The Highly Sensitive Person” by Elaine N. Aron. It says, How To Thrive When the World Overwhelms You. I started reading it once, but I didn’t get very far, and I don’t remember any of what I read. I think I am easily hurt and that I stay hurt for a long time, and, of course, if you want to participate in the world at large, chances are that you will get hurt by people every now and then. Which is no excuse for them, but it is inevitable that it happens. My mother always said that I had to develop some calluses on my soul and apparently I don’t have enough of those yet. So, I am going to give it another shot and see if there is anything for me to learn from it.
Well, this is a short post today. I don’t have that much to tell. On Thursday I am going to get my new passport and hope that the passport pictures are good enough, because they are so strict now. I am going to feed the cats and walk the dog…maybe more later…
It’s just a bit chilly outside. Definitely weather for wearing a jacket, but the sun is shining. Jesker behaved well and on the way home, he waited in four different places, so that was pretty good. I especially like the fact that he waits without me telling him to on the corner of the elementary school, because there is a tall hedge there and I can’t see him if he keeps going.
When I came back from my walk, the SP flag was proudly blowing in the wind and I thought how nice it is to live in a country where you can wave a flag like that and not have it cause you any raised eyebrows or worse.
Okay, that’s it for now…I need to go and do some things…like feed the cats which I forgot to do…
Another Bright Day! 