Friday, June 20, 2014

Frodo Turns 4 & Littlest On Her Bike






“Bicycle means simplicity and simplicity means
happiness!” 




The Fellowship with Frodo 

a story in parts...


Two days ago, Frodo, my bike turned 4 years old!

When I created this blog, I wanted to record minutely my transition from an anxious (but enthusiastic!) cyclist to a Zen lady on her trusted bike.

This was not meant to be. But I am no longer going to let myself be frustrated about this. I have tons of stories to tell, and I will share them, when I can.

Life is not linear after all…I read somewhere…and I agree.

After all the adventure of simplifying life and the way to simplicity should never be forced; it should be fun.



Mijn Liefste putting Frodo together
18th of June, 2010

25th of June, 2010
This is the first day I biked with Frodo in preparation to bring the girls to school myself. I was terrified because I felt that this bike was too big, and too heavy for me. It was all in my mind of course.

When we first came to Holland, the first school they visited was located in Hilversum. They were brought to school and back home with the school bus.  It was a huge adjustment for all of us to have biking as part of our lifestyle and our daily life.

June 18, 2010
After P put it together
Littlest could not wait to take a ride!



As I made this clear to myself, my blogging self, everything became lighter in my mind. :)

So here goes another story I have been wanting to perfectly tell in a linear way…but will share it as it is..

Littlest On Her Bike

biking home from school...


Today Mijn liefste P brought Littlest to school with the car, and loaded her pink bike at the folded back seat.

K still 7 y.o. on this picture (she turned 8 two months later)
June 18, 2010
The pink bike used to belong to K, Littlest older sister. Our middle child.

April 8, 2011
Littlest parking her first (walking) bike proudly
shortly
after receiving it as a gift from Dada
Here she is 3 and 1/2 years old

Summer 2010

Summer 2010
After picking up the girls from the train station
at the border between Holland and Germany
from their short vacation in South Germany
Long hours spent in the car, the girls were excited to bike and go to the playground

We actually planned to practice going to school and back this Saturday.

Littlest enthusiasm has been my source of courage. She gave me the power to let her go.

It took "long" with her learning the bike because of the irregularities in our family schedule.

WE - each and every one in the family - all contributed in the small, simplest way we can, and thanks to baby steps, Littlest learned!

Littlest determination and focus are also admirable.

But more on that in another blog.

Today, I just wanted to document (even without actual photos!) and celebrate with a blog,  that Littlest biked 5 kilometers from school all the way home, in a busy route.

The photos of the route will follow in my next blog.

Littlest biked with so much confidence, and had so much fun. I was apprehensive on my way to picking her up from school; I was over-worrying as usual about what could go wrong on the way. But it was completely unnecessary.

Thank you for sharing this biking milestone with us!

Groetjes,

from afamilyinthenetherlands :)

“...there are often many things we feel we should do that, in fact, we don't really have to do. Getting to the point where we can tell the difference is a major milestone in the simplification process.” 



Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Bring Home The Cake

Wednesday, 18th of June, 2014

It is always a nerve-wracking bit when you are finally home and you are about to open the cake box…did the goodies survive the ride???!!!!


“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.” 


My bike home from the bakery today inspired me to dig up blog pictures I took last year (May 24th 2013) but they never saw got out of draft!

So without further ado…a year later but better than no cake, yes!?! :D

Flowers and cake beautiful simple pleasure to start a weekend (last year's weekend! :D)
24th of May, 2013

Friday is Fish day!
4 1/2 km to bike home the cake!

Still looking good…slowly but surely ….
We're home!


Safely home! Sweet - literally!
Whew! Not bad…only a bit of bump on the side of the cake box
Served!

You've come a long way, dear cake!
24th of May, 2013

101 Reasons I run :D
http://bit.ly/HappyFeetintheNL

Ahhh yes, today's  cake bike ride also delivered it's goods safely, and sweetly!!!!



Thursday, April 3, 2014

Sunkissed Biking & A Whole Lot of Spontaneity Part 1 12/30


“Bicycle means simplicity and simplicity means happiness!”
Mehmet Murat ildan
A picture of a favourite tree I see every day when I bring the girls to school. Taken last 25th of March on a beautiful Spring day like today.

This was edited, inspired by the Almond Blossoms painting of Van Gogh, which I adore.

Today is the first time in Spring (the first day in the year of 2014!) that I biked without shoes!

It was spontaneous, like many of our Spring picnics, which is the reason I went sans socks and shoes today. 

On the way to picking up the girls from school after running a quick 5K (in preparation  for Sunday's 10K run in Hilversum - I will write more about this @ Happy Feet in the Netherlands) I run into (can one actually say, bike into? ;) ) the oldest daughter on her way home from her school, and I asked her  if she would like to have a picnic. 

She agreed and after we picked up the youngest (middle daughter had a spontaneous - yup we are a very spontaneous family! - playdate and opted not to join us)  I bought myself simple flipflops in HEMA before we got our spontaneous delicious picnic from Jumbo.

I still am riding the bike the whole year through but not taking as much pictures like in the previous years since we moved in Holland.

Biking home after our picnic.
Littlest finally got her wish to ride behind her older sister.
I feel so lucky to live in this idyllic village.

Most of the pictures I did take remain unshared, unblogged.

I find it such a pity, so I plan to share them even if not on the same day, or the same year.

I am happy that I am able to share the story of today, right away!

Our littlest was very happy when we told her we would be picnicking at her favourite place - Natuurmonumenten!




We were so hungry after a very active day, that I did not have the time and motivation to take pictures of our food! Unheard of from me, I know. ;) But alas I too need to nourish myself first before I can think as a blogger again. :D

At this point I have to abruptly end the blog because it is too late, and I have to go to bed (11:11 PM says the clock, even though the time stamp of this blog is 7:24 pm, I have not sat all through out to write it in one go!).

But I PROMISE to share all the pictures tomorrow, and the little bits of stories behind them.

It was a special day worth documenting because it felt so light, so great, so simple, so familiar, so comforting... :)

Let me leave you all with a favorite quote I seem to relish specially in Spring time..

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”
― John Burroughs, Leaf and Tendril