Tag Archives: Spring

Last Minute Chaos

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I’m racing against time lately and it’s not because I don’t have enough time, it’s because I’m managing it in a bad way due to the fact that I have so much to do and I have no list on paper -just in my head- causing it to short-circuit every now and then. I have exactly four weeks from today before I’ll be moving countries so once again I’m packing. I’m so tired of crap, I’m throwing out even more; most went to charity already and half of my books went to a friend here in London, I kept the ones in English (which is still too many *hehe).

I already started a while ago but every time I move I realise I should cut down dramatically. I’ve moved about 12 times since I was eighteen but the problem is that whenever one moves to a bigger place the more crap one collects and my last apartment in Amsterdam was twice the size of a regular one there. So these days I only buy things that I’ll actually use and give away what I don’t need. No useless nick-nacks collecting dust and no more books either unless they’re related to design. If it’s not functional and if I don’t use it it will be binned…

I don’t want clutter to rule my life, it’s causing chaos, is utterly distracting and will only take up space in my home, my studio and my mind. So while I’m packing I’m making a conscious decision to let go and throw out things especially the things that I feel I ‘might need’ one day. Because to be honest, that day never really came so far. In the meantime I’ve been meeting up with friends in the city to say goodbye for now. One friend -a programmer- has some projects coming up and he needs my help design-wise.

Like I mentioned in my previous post, I’m showered with requests lately: all of a sudden people want me to do their design projects. This Wednesday I’ll have to meet up with the accountancy firm, they want a brochure with the same design as the website I did a while ago where people can book online courses. There’s more last-minute things that clients need all of a sudden but I was able to put them off until after the move and when I’ll be back online again. I’m lucky that my line of work could be done from anywhere!

I’m sweeping the rooms of my life and it feels good to get rid of all the dirt, cobwebs and the skeletons that I wasn’t allowed to take out of their cupboard before. It’s May and I’m doing a total spring-clean. Aah, what bliss to embrace the changes and watch them evolve gradually in such a positive way. What a great season to start again…

Spring Arrived?

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While I read about the winter in the Lowlands which has been cold and below zero at some point, the weather over here has been really odd this winter… I was sitting in the lounge watching a show on TV last week. I had the window open because it was sunny and not cold at all while I heard a familiar sound all of a sudden. It was the sound of screeching hungry baby sparrows [of the common house sparrow]. I had to listen again because I couldn’t believe what I heard since it was still January and way to early for baby birds. But I wasn’t fooling myself; I kept hearing it every five minutes…

In the UK the drainage pipes are placed on the outside wall of the old Victorian houses and when I look out the kitchen window I can see one in the opposite corner of the neighbour’s house. Last year while I was doing the washing-up in the kitchen I noticed something flying about from the corner of my eye. Two sparrows were busy flying back and forth from the garden to the nest that they had built right behind the main drainage pipe in that particular corner. Both were taking turns feeding their screeching babies for weeks and it was fun watching them doing their thing. But that must have been in April or May and definitely not in January.

Then last Saturday I had to go out and collect something at the pharmacy on the high street and while I walked down there I noticed some beautiful bright yellow daffodils that were planted near a tree in my street. The mild conditions of this winter definitely must have confused plants and birds. I guess I’m not the only one who noticed since two days ago it was actually mentioned on the BBC news later that evening. Climate change is a big issue here in the UK and a regular topic on TV shows or the news. It doesn’t really surprise me since I’ve seen the effect with my own eyes.

Let’s hope there won’t be a spell of cold weather in the next few weeks, it would be awful if those tiny baby sparrows won’t survive…

© Rex