NOVEMBER TEA

Earl Grey in my retro Daalderop tea pot with tea-cosy and pepernoten: 

November evening tea. 

BEDSKIRT

The Dutch don't do bedskirts. In the UK or USA they do a  lot of bedskirts, but they don't do the metric system. After a month-long search I was about to give up, when I found my bedskirt on...H&M Home.com, of all places. I am getting sleepy by just looking at this picture and therefore will go to bed now.

LET'S GO OUTSIDE

Even though today was the first watery-winter day of the year, it wasn't freezing (about 2 °C). So there was rowing again. No wind, flat water, clearing skies and the rowing went much better than last week. It makes me feel really good to be on the water and spend so much time outside. And it soothes my mind.

JANSEN

Two months ago I became a Jansen again. Today I bought the recently launched magazine JANSEN, subtitle 'Niet rijk, wel smaak'. I am not rich, but do have taste, so that suits me. Still, this is not my kinda magazine. Jansen or not.

LEAFLESS

When I walked through town this afternoon it suddenly hit me that all trees have dropped their leaves. It is remarkable how this yearly returning natural process of decay surprises me every time. In October leaves gradually fade from green to all shades of orange, red, yellow and brown, turning parks into painting and forests into fantasy film sets (the alliteration was unintended!). This beauty seems to last for weeks until the leaves turn crispy and a sudden gust of wind blows them all away. I am never prepared. Trees must feel naked this time of year. It was an absolutely beautiful day today.

ROWING

Went rowing today, first time in over 10 years. It was a bit wobbly in the beginning, do not really have sculling experience, but got the hang of it pretty easily. At least I think I impressed my temporary coach, chair of the board Mr. T. He'll deliver me at the 'scullen 2' exams in spring and then I will take it from there on my own in my C-skiff. Will go again next Saturday. Funny: reunited Take That's music video THE FLOOD was released a month ago this week. The boys are rowing, doing a 50's Oxford-Cambridge sort of thing .... in a double 5??

KROMMERIJN

Went running today. First time in months and it went well and felt really good. The Kromme Rijn river enters Utrecht near my house. With hike/bike trails along both sides, it offers a great running track leaving the city behind.

FALL ADVENTURES

The daily adventures of late that have made my life a bit more colourful have concentrated around my fall break. In the last week of October I...

...bought a new fashion statement in COS

... covered book shelves with 'VICTOR & ROLF for Bijenkorf' wrapping paper (x-mas 2009) and polished, brushed and organised my shoes

...ate iChoc

...went to the Dutch Design Week where I got a candle from ONTWERPDUO and my sister gave me a 'Happy Bird' pendant from MICHIEL CORNELISSEN