March / April 2020 birthdays

March / April 2020 birthdays

Having your birthday in March 2020, that was quite to be called a strange or unique period. Also add April, many countries are still in a (semi) lock down and the measures for our country have been extended to April, 28th. How is it like to have your birthday in this period? Having a birthday party like you’re perhaps used of probably isn’t going to happen, at least not in this period. I had my birthday on the 30th of March and in my case, I really had no need for a great celebration in this period.

My birthday was on a Monday, thanks to the leap year, so let me go back in time here. A year ago I already had decided to celebrate my birthday on the Sunday before. The fact that the leap year was skipping Sunday for me so that my birthday will be on the least pleasant day of the week, did not came over to me as a blessing.. I immediately knew: Monday the 30th is going to be just a normal day for me.

I want to thank everyone for the lovely birthday messages! 😊
Red Tom Hiddleston image from Hiddlestoners FB Group.

There wasn’t really anything going on in our country in the first two weeks of March, the news hadn’t really hit us yet. So I had the beer for my birthday bought already. Then when the measures came, I knew I couldn’t celebrate my birthday. That was before the 3 persons & social distance measure came, but like I said: it just didn’t feel right. Also I realized that it didn’t meant I couldn’t do anything. I just needed to be a little creative and that I am. Everyone not part of our own household I sent a message about the cancelling. But to have a bit of a nice weekend, I filled the weekend with smaller things. I knew it wasn’t possible to meet up with all people who’d normally came to my birthday, better to take the safe before the unsafe, but I ‘selected’ a few people who I wanted and COULD see. On Saturday night I had a Disney Plus movie night with my two best friends. We watched Frozen 2, which was added to Disney Plus earlier because of the Corona crisis and did a small movie quiz (one my friend had gifted me for my birthday.) And because we’re still in the mood for another movie after that, we watched the original Winnie the Pooh film. It had been years ago since I last saw that film and it still amazes me how the old classic Disney movies were put together. I especially enjoyed to see the moments again in where the characters were going from page to page and when Tigger could go down by using the letters of the page as a help tool, the interactions between the characters and the writer/storyteller. I think the main reason I got inspired to watch the Pooh film was because of the Teddy Bear (because of the children still have a little healthy thing to do in the fresh air now that they can’t go to day-care/school or play on playgrounds) hunt that are now organized in many countries. From our window Winnie the Pooh and Paddington are on the watch, and if the kids are lucky they’ll see a bonus ‘plush’ namely our Labrador.

On Sunday, the day I was actually going to celebrate my birthday, I enjoyed a small brunch with my family (household) and on the background all kinds of my favourite music was playing. In the afternoon we had home baked cake and in the evening we toasted with wine (or beer). It was a great day and for me that was enough. I doesn’t need to be so extensive year after year. Also my wallet was happy with that, since my 30th birthday is next year!

And then it was Monday, my actual birthday. Like I said, this was more likely a normal day. I’ve had my birthday weekend. Did I still feel like it was my birthday on Monday? Yes and no. I appreciated all happy birthday wishes, when I read them I really felt like it was my birthday. On the other side, also a part of me did not have that feeling. That hadn’t anything to do with the corona virus by the way. Some birthday wishes had “Despite of corona” in them, but honestly, the whole weekend I’d let go of that, hadn’t given it much attention and had my focus on the positive things (everything that gets attention grows, remember). (There was another private reason) But it just was fine the way it was. I did some writing, was able to watch an episode of one of my favourite tv shows: Hawaii Five-0 (sadly in America this weekend the series finale will air, sad to see this ending!), enjoyed a glass of wine (it was still open from the day before). All very casual, cosy and that was all I desired for a birthday!

I mentioned Hawaii Five-0 above. It was the episode 10x15, one I truly enjoyed to watch (just like the one from last week that was more focused on Eddie the Labrador, even though that one was a bit sad). Here's a video of the end scene of this episode I was talking about. Now tell me, perhaps without knowing the show, do these two sound like a married couple or not? 😏 (Even Eddie the dog sees that😉)

That was it for today,

I hope you all stay safe! And for everyone who has a birthday coming: Happy birthday and make the best out of it!

Healthy greet & digital hugs,

x

Nicole

Earth Keeps On Turning

Dear readers,

We were already connected due the one person that has inspired us in so many ways: Tom Hiddleston. I feel that now we are all connected more than ever while we all have to go through a not so fine period, are all fighting the same enemy. I've had my first stay-home week last week. Awareness slowly arrived within the week and I did what I could, offered my grandma help for groceries so that she was able to stay home safe. Writing has helped me before in not to loose my faith and while the days passed, inspiration to address this subject came. I would like to share this blogpost with you all.

Wherever you are, wherever you live, dear Tom Hiddleston, dear Hiddlestoners, dear everyone who's reading this! :: I'm sending you my love, all good thoughts and I wish that you are safe and healthy. Please be kind for everyone around you, offer a helpful hand where you can and pray for the world to get better real, real soon! ::

With love & health,

Nicole from the Netherlands

💓 "Earth Keeps On Turning" 💗

Over the entire world, country after country is (partly) locked down. However, still earth keeps on turning. 

We humans are used to have full planned days, mostly let to the feeling of running out of time. Now we are forced to take a step backwards. The schools are closed, restaurants, bars and stores are closed too and those able to take their jobs home, work from home. 

 Events, big or small + other social activities are cancelled and holidays we were delighted towards, are postponed. Meanwhile, earth keeps on turning. 

The streets are empty and awfully silent. The daily life imprinted in our systems, seems to have stopped. But life is absolutely not shut down! Earth keeps on turning and so does life. A lot is happening around us. In short: the world is changing, now more clearly visible than ever. Not all changes are likable, but occasionally they are needed. One has developed a huge desire for a change, the other feels only fear (for changes). Running away is no option. The situation now standing in front of us, confronts and affects all of us. The question is, how are you dealing with what comes your way? I cannot judge about what someone else is feeling or is going through. All I can say is that I do not choose fear. I choose love, a choice we all have! 

These times do certainly invite us to look a little more inside, within ourselves. Are you happy? Is there anything you want to change? How do you really feel inside? No, we do not stand still. You may now feel that you are forced to stay at home. Fill it the way you want to fill it (as long as it doesn’t go against your country’s official rules, they’re currently still different everywhere). Perhaps you've always wanted to do something artistically or, like me, have some extra time to for writing. That’s given to you now. I see beautiful actions for the most vulnerable groups of people getting created. The media is full of like everything and I see a lot flashing my timeline, but the kind of messages I pay attention to are the ones created from love. They are the ones that light up our very own earth. 

There’s less traffic, less people are using the public transport and there’s less air traffic because worldwide flights are cancelled. But, guess what: earth keeps on turning! Perhaps you’re thinking, why does she keep using this sentence? I can explain. The things I’ve summed up above, I think aren’t all bad at all. Life on earth started many billions years ago and ever since then she has given herself to the many creatures of various shapes and sizes who were she has granted a house to. From single-celled organisms to dinosaurs, mammals and our ancestor, the great ape. For decades, Mother Earth has been begging for our attention, has she literally trying to shake us as a wake-up call and has she shred her tears and showed her anger in the shape of giant cataclysms. Sadly by the largest group of the world’s population, these calls hardly or do not come through. I'm not saying that abstaining things a month or so will do much, but now we have the opportunity to see what really matters and to make the oh so needed changes! 

Earth connects. Animals, plants, our fellow residents, from our neighbors to the people on the other side of the world. Shortly said, all who’re breathing in the same air are connected. It might feel like we’re all so far apart now, especially when now borders close in more and more countries. Still, the words is connected, now more than ever. To feel and experience this connection Mother Earth is asking us to remember who we truly are and to let go of what no longer belongs to us. To respect each other, to stop the judgments among us. We all need each other because together we are one! One unit. Now the moment has come. To let our natural light shine, to let powerful positive thoughts flow that’ll fulfill our dreams. 

 💖“Have faith that there are still beautiful times ahead of us, on sunny paths yet to be walked on.” 💝

"You'll Never Walk Alone"

💙Originally, my post had ended here. However, I got so inspired by the the warmhearted action of Sander Hoogendoorn from the Dutch radio channel 3FM. His idea was to let to hear Gerry & the Pacemakers song 'You'll Never Walk Alone' at the same time, on different radio stations. At Friday the 20th, on 8:45 (Dutch time) the song eventually was on 46 Dutch radio stations. But that wasn't all. In total it was to be heard on more than 180 stations in more than 30 countries! (Among others  England, Belgium, Germany and Romania)

I have to share the video 3FM made from all the fragments they received from all kinds of different radio stations and from people who listened:



I want to end this blogpost with the lyrics of this song. Something I still 100% support is: “#MusicConnects!”, But no matter how you do it, when it comes from your heart you spread love and inspire others to do so too. 💛

When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of a storm

There's a golden sky

And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind

Walk on through the rain

Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on

With hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on

With hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

A small amount of all stations, had to cut and paste a bit to make it fit