Ginger me up!

Recipe of the day: Gingertea

Ingredients:

Fresh ginger pealed and cut into pieces

Fresh water

Cook and leave to simmer for a little while.

I thought ginger was good to combat colds and throat aches. However, it supposedly has a whole lot of other nice effects as well. It can prevent nausea caused by motion sickness or morning sickness, it may help upset stomachs, avoid heat cramps, regulate natural inflammation and joint pains in the body, ease headaches and possibly help treating heart diseases. It also has a great deal of antioxidants. Source: Wikipedia

Time travels

There she was again, my little girl. Greeting me from her special place by the ocean. Last time I saw her, she was a little baby, with no one but me to rely on. Her trusting eyes had given me a strange feeling of well-being. Of being important. Maybe even of motherhood. Sitting there by the ocean, she had grown a lot. I guess you could say she had become a young lady, and her beauty made me marvel. Her long, darkly curled hair. Her tanned skin. Her green summer dress. She wanted me to come sit by her side, to feel the soft breeze caress my wrinkled face and listen to the comforting sound of rolling waves. A sea-gull flew over us. Everlasting peace. I told my little girl about her childhood, her father and her little brother. She listened with a smile. Then we hugged for a while, and she was gone.

A short glimpse into a different place

They were sitting on the porch without talking. Maybe they were enjoying the silence, knowing they didn't have to say anything. He sat behind her with his arms tightly wrapped around her. She held an empty coffee-cup. Their faces were expressionless, as if they had difted away to a new place. A place where they could be alone while being together. A place where they didn't need any words.

I saw them from my window. I was alone. Solitude has a sad beauty attached to it.

So, what happened then?

Life was so good. The summer sun was shining. There was nothing I had to do. I could read all the books I wanted. Tito was here. I felt really great about things.

Then.

Life has turned way too busy. It's getting darker, it's raining and the leaves are changing colour. I don't have any time to do nothing. I have no time to read the books I want to read. Tito has left Willowlandia for now. I feel tired and melancholic.

Now.

Love is in the warm summer air

Tito & Willow

Away until further notice

Closing my eyes, I open my ears. I hear the wind caressing the trees, birds singing and the neighbour's grand-daughter complaining loudly she's hurt her toe. Then there is just the sound of the wind and the birds again. I open my book and let myself slide into the turn-of-the-century México where a man marries the love-of-his-life's sister, because it's the only way he can be near her. My garden, my sun bed, the wind in the trees and the singing birds all fade away. This is summer vacations to me.

Home, sweet home

The circle is closed. One year abroad has come to an end. It sort of seemed sudden, although I remember it passing by at a snail's phase when I was living it.




Speaking of snails, I've had them. They were sort of slimy, and their tentacles were rather terrifying. But down they went. And I've got witnesses to prove I actually did swallow them.

Coming home, all the colours greens have breath-taken me. I knew my country was beautiful, but I don't think I've ever really noticed how wonderfully green it is. Looking forward to spend a nearly endless summer vaccation here. Books, walks in the forests, lazying and meeting up with good friends....

This is the beginning of a really great time of year.

A dog-life

The dog is lying on the sofa - depressed. The only part of him being seemingly alive, are the sad eyes looking up at you when you enter the room. Lifeless, depressed, abandoned. The dog howls his most heartbreaking howl, expressing himself the only way he can. The dog's owner has left the building. The dog is being bossed around by the other dog. She won't leave him alone! She gets him nervous. The dog needs to go out. The dog isn't taken out. He takes a piss on the kitchen door. He takes a new piss on the leg of the living room table. The owner returns hours later and screams at the top of her lungs: "Bastard, what have you done? I'll give you, I'll give you...." The dog runs away, hiding himself under the innermost corner of the bed in the innermost room of the hall. The other dog is grinning, thinking "I'm such a good dog, I bet I'll get petted and baby-talked around now." The owner picks the other dog up and starts to baby-talk it and kiss it. "I-love-you-I-love-you-I-love-you." The dog feels bad. The dog starts barking. The dog is punished. Again. New dog-pee on the floor. And the whole process starts over again.

The dog is taken out (for a change). The dog is frenetic, trying to be everywhere at the same time. The dog knows he's only got 5 minutes to pee and mark the territory. That's how much his owner allows him. The dog seems confused. The dog has been outside for 15 minutes. The dog sees that the people having taken him out do not include his owner. The dog starts smelling a new place - a park! The dog is going crazy with all the new smells. The dog is running back and forth. The dog has been outside for one-and-a-half hours. The dog starts to relax. The dog feels good. The dog feels dog.

A weird state of mind

I'm not sure how I feel today. Happy? Sad? Both? Is it possible to be both happy and sad without being either happily sad or sadly happy? Normally one is either sad or happy, and has no problem distinguishing the two. Have I been caught in the limbo?

Send me some kind of stimuli that will send me either which way, please.

¡Viva Cuba!

Two girls alone at the cinema. Two bottles of coke and a bag of plantain chips. And a Cuban movie that leaves both of them with tears in their eyes in the end. This is a film I really would recommend to most everyone.




"Malú (Malú Tarrau) and Jorgito (Jorgito Miló) are friends who fight every now and then. It's part of the territory when you're ten and trying to make your mark on the world. Only their families don't see it that way. Her mother is a devout Catholic with strict ideas of who she should associate with. His family are die-hard Castrofans, card-carrying communists with a deep sense of party loyalty. Both families are too absorbed in their own travails to take much notice of the children. Her mother is trying to leave Cuba to join her partner and when Malú finds out that her mother is about to take her away, she escapes with Jorgito armed with the savings from her piggy bank. Their search for Malú's father involves an extensive (and enterprising) tour across the Cuban landscape with plenty of adventures along the way. Soon enough, however, the two realise that life on the run is not all they thought it would be and a kind of homesickness begins to set in. Rooted in two charming central performances, Viva Cuba is a quirky coming-of-age road movie that will appeal to both children and adults alike."

~A review written by Maria Delgado

Directed by	Juan Carlos Cremata
Written by	Juan Carlos Cremata, Manuel Rodriguez
With	Malú Tarrau, Jorgito Miló
Country	Cuba-France
Year of Production	2005
Running Time	80 minutes

Philosophy on a Thursday

I have a luxury problem, I believe. And that is that I have too much time until my next exam. It would be impossible to fill all of it by studying the same texts over and over again, so I have started reading a new book.

It's an introductory book about philosophy (who would have thought?) called
The Questions of Life : An Invitation to Philosophy. It's written by the Spanish philosopher Fernando Savater. To be honest, it's the first philosophy-book I've ever opened and actually intended to read. The reason I have it in my custody is that I bought it for Tito. Being the wonderful man he is, he has allowed me to read it first, so this is what I have started on.

Chapter one is about death. Depressing? Well, not really. For instance it refers to Montaigne who said that we don't die because we are sick, we die because we are alive. The author has given me some new ideas and perspectives, even though I've only completed the first chapter. I like the way he writes, so I'll without a doubt finish it. My first book ever about philosophy. And not a day too early.

Joke of the year

(And I sort of loved this picture.)

Going to the last class of the year yesterday, there was a new face among us. No one had seen her before. The teacher obviously hadn't seen her either, so he went asking her if she was in the right class. "Yes", she said, "it's just that I haven't had time to come before now." (There have been 4 classes a week ever since February, and the students have been able to pick the ones best fitting with their scedule.) The teacher gave her some explanations of the subject, and wished her good luck. This is Spain for you.

One day left

One day left of classes. I've been waited for this day ever since January. And now it's finally here. No more copying down word by word of professors' monotone speeches, no more endless boredom and "anywhere-but-here" games, no more definitions of the definitions of the definitions...... In short: I can see the end of it. And it makes me smile broadly.

Guitar and pancakes

Today I touched a guitar for the first time in my life, and I actually played a bit on it as well. I learned two cords and did manage to play on four strings. Impressive, ay? And then there were pancakes with peach-jam and banana for lunch. What a great day!

Good morning, sunshine!!

Happy Constitutional Day to all the Norwegians!!! Here it will be "celebrated" with classes at school in nearly 40 degrees. Looking forward to some real tasty Melkesjokolade afterwards!

P.S. It did actually reach 42 degrees today. Hottest 17th of May I've ever experienced.
P.P.S. Thanks a lot to AJ who brought the most delicious fruit salad for lunch. Yum!

The Catty Hairball

I don't really have a story today, but I found this wonderful photo. It expresses how I feel today; being inside, curling up in the sofa listening to the rain pouring outside. How nice it would have been having a cat for company!

The art of indulging oneself

First day of Spring (according to the calendar). Pancakes with banana and raspberry jam for breakfast. Watching cartoons on TV in pyjamas. Going up to my personal paradise at the mountain. Reading a book, enjoying nature and having a sandwich for lunch. Just staying there; relaxing, breathing, feeling good. And then taking a hot bath in the end of the day.

What's your May 1st like?

Getting there

Although we still have one month left to go with classes before the exam period begins, my mind has started going on imaginary trips to whatever place in the world. AJ and I have started playing "Anywhere but here" to make time and deadly boring classes pass. Sometimes, I've found myself back home, skiing in the forest by the lake, going for hot chocolate at a wonderful café called "Bare Jazz", I've even imagined being back to my old university, enjoying classes there. And that's sort of bad, isn't it?




Then all of a sudden I find myself on the other side of the planet. In a tropical forest listening to exotic birds and insects. Enjoying the purity of life, I'm using all my senses. Tito is with me, and the people that have invited us to this place. I can see it so clearly, and I know this trip in particular will be realized in a year. So, the trick is to be patient, daydream all one can, and perhaps study a bit on the side. But I'll get there.

One year and one day...

...that's how long Willow's adventures has been around. A year of blogging, who would have thought. Although not as frequent as it used to be, I'm still going up that Blogging World Escalator!

I'm marking the big event with a new counter from NeoWORX, an idea stolen from Call if you need me. Your site is hereby recommended, Risa!

Letters from good friends have a tendency of making me smile

Today I woke up to a dark sky and rain, something just making me want to turn over and continue sleeping in my warm bed. I did however realize I have to work, and therefore got up. Iron-will, I suppose...

Turning on my good friend, Toshiba - the Laptop, I went straight to my e-mail account. One single e-mail was waiting for me, and upon seeing it, I knew it would be a good start of the day. CattyCanadian told me about her Spring-time adventures and activities; about looking after her blooming Rose Garden, going for rides on her bike with neighbours and looking forward to summer camping in the wild. It gave me a vague sensation of longing after my own childhood Springs. They were filled with so much mystery and adventure, and remembering it, it was almost as I could almost smell the freshness in the forest after rain.

Possibly in need of a key

Tito left this morning, leaving emptiness where he has been. Does anyone have a key that can keep the door to the room of despairs closed for several months? Suggestions appreciated.

Alone in the dark

A koala with a torch. A little lion that doesn't know how to roar. A big lion overcoming his fears for the love of his son. A 22 cm tall squirrel being madly in love with a giraffe wearing a live boa. Invisible chameleones appearing. Dancing gnus. And an adventure.

Tito and Willow cuddling up in the middle of a completely empty cinema one Monday evening.

Easter holidays

Being in Spain during Easter is somewhat special. In this country it is a religious holiday, where almost everyone takes part. There are lots of processions in the streets; grieving ladies in black, crying saints and Jesuses carried around and men dressed in tall coneshaped hats and long robes.

Tito and Willow are enjoying every moment together.

My personal paradise

I've found my personal paradise down here South. I believe one can find paradises anywhere, and perhaps it's also necessary having one to go when the world starts running too fast. My newly discovered paradise is up on the mountain, under a pine-tree offering shaddow in the heath. The view is magnificent with snow-covered mountains to the East, the city to the West, hills in the North and villages in the South. The Earth is rusty red, the rich meadows are covered with yellow flowers glittering in the sun, the grass is freshly green and the sky is as blue as only the sky can be. It's a peaceful place. It's a free place. A place for meditation and recovery. My place.

Tick, tock, tick, tock....

The clock is ticking. Seconds are passing, minutes are passing, hours are passing, even days are passing. Time passes incredibly slowly when you are waiting for your beloved one. At least there is movement, the second hand is going clockwise, no matter how slowly. Lucky are those who own the virtue of patience. I wish I knew where to get it... Tito, I'm counting the seconds to be with you. May the two remaining weeks misteriously disappear in thin air. Still knowing, that in two weeks there are a lot of seconds. One million, two-hundred-and-nine thousand, six-hundred to be exact.

AJ and Willow's trip to the playground

Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall;
Threescore men and threescore more
Cannot place Humpty-Dumpty as he was before.

Who says only kids can have fun at the playground? (And no, there were no kids there waiting for us to finish so they could play.)

Darkness

You're in the forest all alone, and it's completely dark. You bump into trees, you fall over roots, and you use all your senses apart from one. Vision. The noises seem louder, the smells stronger and the taste of fear is starting to form itself on your tongue. Struggling against a feeling of starting panic, you start going faster. Not knowing where you are, not knowing where you'll go. You just want to get out. And the all of a sudden you see two bright, shining stars above you. They give you hope. Maybe the moon will come out too. The stars approach you and you understand that you've been mistaken. They are not stars. They are eyes. Yellow eyes.

Nice things

Nice things I've done the past week:

had Belgian waffles with ice-cream and chocolate together with fabulous friends

seen Casanova at the movies (it was funny!)

laughed my head off seeing my crazy friend ordering an enormously huge bucket of popcorn, nachos with cheese and an extra large cup of coke at the movies, and then trying to consume it all (she is a small lady!)

experienced a small carnaval and a chess tournament down town on the regional holiday

had tapas and sangría in the sun with other fabulous people

enjoyed the smell of honey from almond trees in bloom walking up to my university

started reading a new book, that actually gets me up at 8 a.m. just to read it (thanks Lou!)

Signs that spring might be on its way

Although there is frost on the ground in the morning...




...and you'd prefer to keep as close to a warm source as possible...




...the tree-buds are slowly coming out; as are the flowers that smell so lovely...




...and you can't help but smile. It's a wonderfully changing season.

Today I met Mr. Charles

Walking up the last hill to my university this morning, something interrupted me in my daydreaming. In the middle of the road, right in front of me, appeared a beautiful gent dressed in his finest outfit. His bushy tale looked like he'd spent quite some time in front of the mirror. So we stood there for a while, looking at each other. Then he told me he was Mr. Charles the Squirrel and I told him I was Willow the Dreamer. Mr. Charles was looking for ripe spruce cones. I helped him look for some time, before he had to leave. Told me the missus was waiting for him in top of the gigantic cypress, so he'd better get going. We said our good-byes, and I continued up the hill to have my daily doses of library knowledge.

A new day

There's something refreshing about waking up early. You get a head start of the day, before everybody else. The first sunrays give promise that it will be a beautiful day. A day for getting duties done. A day for a walk in the park. A day for sitting in the sun - reading or daydreaming. And in the end you feel great, because you have done all the things you had to do and also those you wanted to do.

Happy Valentine's Day

Camomile Tea
by Katherine Mansfield

Outside the sky is light with stars;
There's a hollow roaring from the sea.
And, alas! for the little almond flowers,
The wind is shaking the almond tree.

How little I thought, a year ago,
In the horrible cottage upon the Lee
That he and I should be sitting so
And sipping a cup of camomile tea.

Light as feathers the witches fly,
The horn of the moon is plain to see;
By a firefly under a jonquil flower
A goblin toasts a bumble-bee.

We might be fifty, we might be five,
So snug, so compact, so wise are we!
Under the kitchen-table leg
My knee is pressing against his knee.

Our shutters are shut, the fire is low,
The tap is dripping peacefully;
The saucepan shadows on the wall
Are black and round and plain to see.

Cherish the moment

Having spent a few wonderful days in Titonia, I've gotten a year older, have learned that love has no limits and that drinking Indian orange tea (from new, matching cups) with Tito is really nice.




One should always appreciate the time shared with special persons, no matter how much or how little.

Titonia

Tito & Willow

Happily renunited
In Titonia

Life is wonderful

Siberian Cold - I welcome you!

Looking out the window, I see big flakes of wet snow falling. From my window in Spain! From my window in the southern corner of Europe where it's supposed to be warm all year round. (I've unveiled a myth.) Touching the snow falling makes me feel at home, remembering all the snowmen I've made through the years. Although I'm sure it will disappear ones it hits the ground.

This is just surreal.

Old people are beautiful

Old people know how to appreciate the small (and important) things in life. They generally are very wise and can tell you the most amazing stories from a long life. They can also teach you a thing or two.




Here are a few descriptions of old people I have seen this past week.

The week started with a small lady and her dressed up Chihuahua. Since it is so cold here, I thought it very responsible to make sure the dog wasn't freezing as well. Stopping in front of the bank, the lady began singing to her dog. The dog sat down and began wagging its tail, clearly enjoying it.

As I walked to the university one day, I saw an old man with his daughter. They were giggling a lot, and all of a sudden the old man began running! He sure proved he was in very good shape, and I couldn't help smiling. His handsome wrinkled face beamed back at me with a nearly toothless smile.

Calling my own grandmother the other day, made me feel much loved. She was thanking me for calling her all the way from Spain, and made me believe this was her highlight of the day. She told me about how much she likes her weekly trip to the local café with a friend. She gets to go out, meet people and feel part of the society.

Riding the bus yesterday, my mind being elsewhere, an old man with a barrette and a green coat sat down next to me. He began talking to me, telling me about his favourite movie. Then he asked me how old I thought he was. Taking some time to think, I told him perhaps 70. This made him so pleased, while it proved that exercising had helped keeping him young. He could tell me I was wrong by 7 years. He was very much interested in the Vikings, and made me tell him about then. The long bus ride seemed to be over before it had even started. He got off and 2 stops later I got off. I was left with a feeling of having met someone interesting.




What always makes me happy is seeing old couples walking hand in hand or kissing like the couple I saw the other day wearing identical training suits and snickers. They seemed to be very much in love, something giving me a lot of faith for the future.

Old people are beautiful.

A new morning has been born

When I woke up this morning, it was hard to let go of my dream. I had spent the night meditating in the Rocky Mountains. I had seen sunrises and sunsets, and had never imagined how beautiful the Rockies could be. There was silence, peace, fresh air, a place for filling up on energies...




Looking out the window, I saw 10 hot air balloons. Pinching my arm, I discovered it had to be real. Going out on the balcony to see them better, a man waved down at me from the nearest one. And I waved back.

I normally wouldn't respond to this, but....

I've been tagged by Call if you need me.

Here are the rules of the game:
1. The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points of their perfect lover.
2. Need to mention the sex of the target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game & leave a comment on their blog saying they've been tagged.
4. If tagged the 2nd time, there's no need to post again.

My perfect lover is a male who...

1. Dances merengue.
2. Eats vegetables.
3. Does his best to make the world a little bit better.
4. Talks about "us" rather than "me" and "you".
5. Shares my future hopes and desires.
6. Makes me become a better person.
7. Is beautiful.
8. Is magic...

Oh, whaddayaknow, I think I've just described Tito! ;o)

I choose to tag... CattyCanadian, Mildrid, Skaperen and
Vox Cani.

A tidal wave

Stress, nervousness, lack of sleep, inadequateness, unwellness, a mountain of heavy schoolwork due, frustrations, despair... All washed away.

Reading makes magic

Reading makes magic by Wendy Christensen

Willow loves reading fiction.
Willow has exams within a 3 weeks time.

Question 1: Should Willow be allowed to spend part of her spare time reading something she truly enjoys, something magic?

Question 2: Would reading something pleasant actually motivate Willow to more efficient studying for her exams afterwards?

And that was the end of winter and snow

Unfortunately all good things have an end. So do Christmas vaccations. Being on the move for 16 hours took me back to the Warm South (that is not all that warm.) It's good to be back, although I'm left with a feeling of emptyness where my family, friends back home and Tito have been. Does anyone want to keep me company?

Happy New Year 2006!