September ... When It Comes.

Today, here in Belgium it's Mother's Day, and it's a gray and rainy day.

It's like they say here: "it's Belgian weather". It's pouring rain! 

We're now half August and September comes closer.

September .... the month that includes so many memorable dates to me!

It makes me silent.

In September - now 52 years ago: I got married. 

In September - now 50 years ago: my son was born. 

In September this year: it will be already 5 years ago - since Pipke died.

- So I suppose you can imagine - 

when I heard this song 

last week on the car radio, that I can't get rid of the song.

Ever since it keeps haunting me. 

Especially the corresponding images on the YouTube film gives me shivers. 

You see a lifetime passing!

It makes me aware that life is short and that my life could have been so very very different.

September when it comes .........

 

Remembering Pipke on her Birthday

I have so many thoughts and emotions swirling through my head and heart today. 

Today is what would have been Pipke's nineteenth birthday!

^

On the day she was born May 25, 1995.

^

On her very last birthday May 25, 2009.

Inspecting the flowers.

*****
If anyone should ever write my life story

For whatever reason there might be

You'd be there between each line of pain and glory

Cause you're the best thing that ever happened to me 


Missing you sweetie!

A Post Without a Tittle

(I started writing this post with an entirely different intent, but ultimately my mind has strayed, with the result that it has become something that I can't define. Therefore, I finally couldn't give this post a title. I leave it to you how you want to call the result.)

Perhaps bantling?

- At the moment I'm still working with much pleasure on 'Pipke's Life Story' on my second blog.
If you've read the PS. of the post  'Pipke on TV' then you will have noticed that I've problems to retrieve film images.

So while preparing the next chapters I started to search after particular  film images which I wanted to add to the story later on.

Those film images were taken during a consultation at the vet, and in this particular scene Pipke was brought under narcoses.

After searching through all my photo and film files I couldn't find them.

Therefore I started to think back, and then I remembered: 'I've seen the film images where I was looking for,  the day after Pipke died'.

I've seen them together with my  '*hubby' at the saddest moment in my life.

Watching them was our way to try to process the death of Pipke. 

So – after searching everywhere – it dawned on me why I can't find those images anymore! Then I realized! Of course - those particular film images are standing on the original small tape of the film camera, and this tape is sitting in the movie camera itself wherewith the film images were taken so long ago.

And that's now exact the problem: after moving to another place, 
I no longer have the film camera with the original tape. They are no longer in my possession.

It's really a pity because, not only several film images of Pipke, but also almost all the film images of our family, and my granddaughter as a child are standing on that tape.

So I wonder where those images ended?

Now I only hope that they're not thrown away, that would be a real sin.

But what do you want - that's the way it goes in life!

Not everyone cares about images, for some it doesn't mean much, not to say anything.
You perhaps know it already. I cherish memories. A part of me even thrives on it, it's actually almost all I have left now.

Maybe I've too much of them, but – what do you want: the older you get the more memories you have!

Memories – if you don't have them – then you must have lived a very superficial life.

Of course life goes on, and you don't choose to live in the past, but - just listening to a song can suck you back in time, and that happened to me not so long ago.

While I was driving the car they played this song on the car radio.

I'd almost forgotten this beautiful Abba song from long time ago. 

It touched me in such a way, that I became very emotional.

So it brought me back in time

At that time it was just a beautiful song for me, but now it has become a song with a kinda bitter aftertaste.

Now my present runs into the past, now and then becomes entwined – playing games within my mind. 

So while I listen to the song, I close my eyes and imagine that ...... !

Unfortunately – I have no longer a fireplace, but I still have a clock, and this clock is ticking already more than 37 years! 

Now I hear her ticking at my place. 

Then I could hear her ticking in 'our house'.

The ticking has remained the same, but the early morning ritual that made  ​​it possible that she continued ticking has totally changed.

Now – I'm the one who does the winding of the clock, and every time I do that – I think of the past. 

Memories -- even a clock has a history! Tik..tak ... tik ...tak  ...

Enjoy the song!

Hope you gather many beautiful memories, only then life will be worth living.

Note: Discover an other version of the song sung by 'Sissel' the 
woman with the voice of an Angel. 

It will give you goosebumps!

Laura Pausini: One of My Favorites

On Sunday, February the second - I attended a performance of Laura Pausini, my son's favorite Italian female singer.

It was an exceptional experience but I must add that it was also a little a disappointment.

Why: well if you listen to a CD then the volume between the voice of the singer and the volume of the music instruments is more in balance. During such a concert it seems as if only the volume of the music instruments counts.

I find it such a pity because you almost can't understand the lyrics of the song.

The special effects and dance acts made it more attractive but in my eyes it could have been perfect if the volume wasn't so enormously loud.

You maybe know already I have hearing problems and even without my hearing aids I had to put my fingers in my ears because I couldn't endure the volume.

Probably - no almost certainly I'm getting old folks – although! Wait a minute, I do remember that I've seen also younger persons with their fingers in their ears.

I wonder why the organizers prefer to set the sound so loud. The members of the performing group - they almost all - sooner or later - get hearing problems even with protective ear caps.

I personally know a young guy who's hearing got badly damaged by only one loudly concert of the group AC/DC.

Since he attended that particular concert he now always hears a whistling noise in the background.

Unfortunately for him - there exist no treatment to resolve this problem.

For the rest of his live he has to live with it, and sometimes the noise can make him really crazy. He also has problems to understand a normal conversation well because of the disturbing beeping noise dominates.

Therefor - be warned folks: when you want to attend a concert prepare yourself. 
Buy protective ear caps and – wear them.

(Actually - in hindsight - I better had prepared myself but - I'd underestimated that it would give such a problem for me, because I don't hear so well when I'm not wearing my hearing aids.)
So - know that every little bit too much sound can cause troubles for you later. 

To close this warning post: if you don't know Laura Pausini jet, here's one of my favorite songs of her. 

La Solitudine (Loneliness) 

On this link you can find a the version with an adaptation of the Italian lyrics in English

Enjoy the music – and on this Valentine day ... let your dear one know you care about them!

You will never regret it if you've said it too often - but  - most important "also proof it" !

Have a great Valentine Day!

In Loving Memory of my Best Friend Pipke

May 25, 1995 – September 14, 2009

*Goodbye my friend!

Always on my mind, for ever in my heart

Your

Oma

To watch her Memorial slideshow - 
 click on the *YouTube link above!

PS: After I heard this song for the first time on the radio, I've had it stuck in my head ever since. 
It seemed almost as if the song was written for my dear Pipke.

I was curious and so I went to search on the internet and so I found out that Karla Bonoff  wrote this beautiful touching song: "Goodbye My Friend" after she had lost her cat.

She described the bond we share with our pets and the grief we must endure when they leave this earth so very well.



Listen to the lyrics carefully, then you will understand what it means to loose what was the most precious to you!

Fran and the Lucky Little Duckling

Probably you're all thinking now that I'm talking about Pipke and me.

Of course: Pipke was a lucky little critter because I was there to save her during a heavy rainstorm at the moment that she was born in an abandoned nest.

The human Fran and her lucky baby duckling Pipke

But – there's now also an other little duckling that was saved by someone who's called: Fran.

You will never guess it; that last Fran where I'm talking about “isn't a human”.

No - it's a friendly giant: a gorilla at the Bronx Zoo in New York.

I want to explain how I discovered this. Actually it happened pure by chance.

Already quite some time ago someone has sent me an endearing picture of a gorilla and a tiny duckling.

(What the sender probably did not know was that “that friendly gorilla”, who's the savior of the duckling is also called: Fran.)

Of course the picture touched me because it brings back memories.

So - because I'm someone who wants to know the story behind the picture - who goes more profound into things - I went to search on the Internet and found out this wonderful story that follows in this post.

Only by reading the touching story I discovered that I have an “animal namesake” with also a lot of empathy.

And yes, also the “behavior” of those great giant Fran got my interest, I wanted to know more about that. I'm not going to bother you with *all the interesting information I found on *Wikipedia. You know where to find it.

The main point is that they say there that: Primates and in particular great apes are candidates for highly developed capabilities for empathy .

So - when people say as an insult: “you behave as an animal”, I actually see this rather as a compliment.

I also discovered there the story about Koko the female gorilla with also a lot of empathy. If you don't know her already down below in this post you can find a link to a YouTube film about her.

Now back to the main topic: Fran the gorilla and the lucky little duckling. 

(Actually the reason why I planned to write this post.)

Here follows a part of the story published in the newspaper The telegraph

published on October 7, 2011. Click on the link to read the full story. 
(Note: Look how good the quality of the pictures taken by Tom Warren is. You must know they were taken through a thick piece of plexiglass!)

A wonderful moment between two unlikely friends
This huge gorilla and tiny duckling became unlikely friends after the bird escaped into the ape's zoo enclosure. Visitors to the zoo ware stunned when the baby duckling suddenly appeared inches from the primate. Feeling the 90kg western lowland gorilla might react badly to the feathered visitor, onlookers held their breath to see what would happen. The gorilla became fascinated with the bird and inspected its new friend with a stick. The 15 year ols female ape, called Fran, happily let the duckling waddle about before it was removed by the zookeepers.
Photographer Tom Warren captured the scene at the Bronx Zoo in New York.

Tom Warren/Solent News.

Twigged ... Fran checks out her new feathery chum with a stick

Tom Warren/Solent News.

The duckling is accepted into the gorilla group

Tom Warren/Solent News.

The frendly gorilla Fran

 has a quacking time with a tiny duckling

Tom Warren/Solent News.

I hope the great giant Fran could capture your heart.

She surely has captured mine.

I have used this quote already before but, here - at this place - it's really an appropriate quote to close this post with:

"If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans."

James Herriot

Fran the gentle gorilla is a confirmation of it!

PS: May I invite you to look at this endearing YouTube film about Koko the gorilla.

Here you see Koko who expressed sadness over the death of her cat All Ball. Look how she shows her empathy and how lovingly she treats the kittens.

Can you guess who ......

Can you guess who has written this highly sensitive and meaningful text? 

(The name of the writer you can find below.)

“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.” 
Written by Bob Marley

My conclusion from these words: 

it's not always what you see what you get.

Why?

Because - often it's the case that one thinks that one can't associate a "mindful and sensitive personality" to a person who seems to be a kinda hippy, but - as it's also often the case:

 it's only the outside that one sees. 

It's the inner that counts.

I want to close this post with this quote written by Storms Jameson: 

"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed."

Thanks for reading! 

PS: I would already give away that my next post will be a very special one. 

It's by pure chance that I can write this story.

The title will be: Fran and the lucky little duckling.

Till then.