Finally on holiday :)

We're totally ready for vacation

Finally fresh air and silence, just birds who will disturb the peace. After a long period of bad weather with heavy rains, summer decided to come back ;)
I don't know how we manage to get always good weather when we go on holiday, but a fact is, the weather is mostly nice to us. When we have rain, it's just necessary to take a day rest.

Tommorow or maybe this night I'll pack my bag. I always found it hard to decide what to take with me, though I always can shop there. Since the sun decided to stay, we can pack a lot of summer cloths, just a few sweaters for the night. My brother will bring our bikes and Peggy's anti-decubitis matras. It's always a lot of stuff we have to bring with us. Peg, decided to do shopping there as soon as we'll arive. Good idea. Though my brother is bringing us, we still have to keep in mind that on calamity we still have to take everything in our little car. So we have to pack only things that are really necessary.


Here we handcycle a lot, distances of 40km and even 60km are not uncommon. In Brabant we feel healthy at least, nice people and no rush. We always go to the same campsite and rent a Caravan from the Red Cross. These caravans are special built and are accesible for disabled, though not everything is adjusted. The kitchen is still normal, so you can't look in your pans. But hé, I am not complaining :) nothing is perfect. I think it's pretty luxious ;)

The campsite is situated across the forest between Breda and the Belgium border. We only have to cross the street. It has a very neat cycle path we often take. We can spend hours on those special cycle routes, they take you from one point to another. I expect there'll be a lot of mushrooms, it 's so nice to look at them with there red heads and white spots.

I am sure we have a fantastic holiday, we're really looking forward to it.

We' will not see these for a while!!!

It's been a long time since I grew my own tomatoes. I bought 3 tomato plants at the local nursery. I didn't taste them yet, but I am sure they'll taste good ;)
©twocatsdesign

My garden

When I took a look today, I noticed that my tomatoes are slowly turning red.
�twocatsdesign

Sail Amsterdam 2005

Tomorrow this great maritime event will take place in Amsterdam at August 17th thru 22nd.

Actually it's taken place not to far from our house , but we won't visit it though, much to crowded. :(
Instead we'll watch tv and check out the websites. I've noticed that they installed a webcam in both IJmuiden and Amsterdam. You can watch a sneake preview of the whole event on their website.

I once went with my brother to watch the arrival of ships in IJmuiden. It was a great sight, very impressive too, all those ancient Tall Ships. It looks that it's gone be great, the weather is just fine, not to hot and sunny.

What do you think of it, ever visited such an event?

DBA

A rare disorder

I am diagnosed with congenital aplastic
anemia or congenital pure red cell aplasia at birth.
Immediately after I was born I was rushed
to a children's Hospital in Amsterdam.
My first blood transfusion was done through my
umbilical cord. At age 3 the doctors tried Prednisone,
which almost killed me, I didn't respond at all, my blood
levels even dropped.


From birth I receive every 4-6 weeks I receive  2 or 3 packed cells.
I am also on Desferal, (an Iron chelator) I used to use it
through a port a cath and subcutaneously, but I suffer from the side effects.
It makes my very fatigue and my joints and liver hurt, I feel sick when I use it.
So that's the main reason why I don't use it as often as I should.
I already have been through the side effects of severe Iron overload.
August 1993 I was admitted to Hospital with heart and liver failure.
It almost killed me, but I survived :)

I went for a second opinion to an Academic Hospital, and there I got a Port a Cath.
The Port a Cath was a real life savior, cause this way
I could get the Desferal straight into my veins,
what is more effective and less painful than subcutaneously infusion.

Due to the effects of Iron Overload, my muscles are affected
 that's why I decided to use a wheelchair. It's less tiresome than walking,
 so it's a way to handle my lack of energy.
I don't see it as deterioration,  now I can do things that otherwise I couldn't do.
It's just another way of moving :)

Pfft, it's not easy to write this story in English,
I hope it makes sense, and that you 
folks can understand it. 

We can do it!!!

WE CAN DO IT!
WHAT CAN WE DO?
IT!!

Jackie busy practicing her lessons, she is doing great! Here she is concentrating on her balance

Oh, those wheels are getting off real high

Mummy, look at me, I finally can balance on my rear wheels without beeing stressed out. I even can make a pirouette and wheel on my rear wheels

A job well done girly, next time you can climb an escalator!

(comments made by doorgedraaid)

Wheelchair training

Monday I had my first lesson at the RCA (Rehabilitation Centre Amsterdam) Although I have a wheel-chair for over ten years, I never learned how to balance and take steep sidewalks. I am scared to fall backwards. I once fell over and from that moment I am scared to top over again. Maybe I should where a pletterpet (safety helmet) hahaha


When I got this new wheel-chair I decided that it was time to learn those skills. I saw how easy some of the wheeler took steep sidewalks and balanced on their two wheels.

The guy who delivered my chair is also a wheeler. He 's a real sportsman, plays tennis and skies. He told me that the RCA could learn me to defeat my fear. So I went to my GP, he wrote a letter and I could see a doctor at the RCA. Dûh, I only want to take wheel-chair training, no need to see a doctor. :(
Hmm, it had to go like this otherwise the health assurance would not cover it. Together we (Peggy and I) went to see the circus. I had to answer a bunch of questions, and finally the doctor examined me. She gave permission to take wheel-chair training and do sports. Those things make me real nerves, so I giggled a lot ;)

Will be continued.

I have to go now for my second lesson ;) and have an intake at the sports centre as well.

Learning English online

---

The Cats' Protection League


Midnight.

A knock at the door.
Open it? Better had.
Three heavy cats, mean and bad.

They offer protection. I ask, 'What for?'
The Boss-cat snarls, 'You know the score.
Listen man and listen good

If you wanna stay in the neighbourhood,
Pay your dues or the toms will call
And wail each night on the backyard wall.

Mangle the flowers, and as for the lawn
a smelly minefield awaits you at dawn.'
These guys meant business without a doubt

Three cans of tuna, I handed them out.
They then disappeared like bats into hell
Those bad, bad cats from the CPL.


Roger McGough.

Roger McGough's word play appeals to adults and children alike. Here, the cats from the CPL get nasty.

Recently I discovered that there is a possibility to take a free course English at the Internet. I just typed the word into Google, and I came across a lot of fun sites. This way I found a course on the BBC site. There is link that leads you to online listening lessons. I already did a lot of quizes and made a few lessons. ;)
Unfortunetly the link doesn't work, so I deleted it.
I looked up all the words in this poem and saved them, that way I hope to learn a lot of new words.

Did you ever do an online course?

Especially for my foreign friends ;)

Hi there,

I finally took the step to make an English weblog. I already have a few websites and weblogs, but they are all in Dutch. Altough my English is far from perfect, I decided to give it a try. It's a wonderful opportunity to practise my English though. You are more than welcome to give your comment.



A brief introduction ;)

The main reason to start another log is to improve my English ;)
I am Jackie, 40+ born and bred in the Netherlands. I live in a small town nearHaarlem. I have lat relationship, and share my house with Simon an adorable cat.
I have several hobby's; in the summertime I like to handbike a lot with my friend. We really love a good laugh and make as much fun as possible.
My friend really likes to write a lot and has her own log. In the winter I do wheelchair dancing. I started it last year, and it's great fun.
Photoshop or PSP, and Digital Painting are my other passions.
You can tell I am real addict. ;)

So you now you know a little about me ;)
I hope you'll enjoy your stay !