random monday thoughts

: : I voted in the European Parliament election, yes I did. And I casted my vote on quite the opposite from what I voted for in the latest national election - let's just say I am so not faithful to any party. And (again, again and again...), that I do not believe in the majority of politicians. Most of them are completely out of touch with real life, the love spending tax money - and I have no problem with paying even a hefty amount of tax if I know that they'll be spent wisely - and lining their pockets at other people's expense. They might be good at talking the talk, very rarely walking the walk. Because in the end, what they say and claim all boils down to blaming the opposition and serving as management of what already is. With sad few exceptions.

On the other hand we as a people and a country somehow get what we deserve and I do believe that I as a citizen should try and make my voice heard in this way possible. Hence I do vote every election day.

I do believe in international cooperation and solidarity, where solidarity is deserved, I do not believe in a bureaucratic, money wasting system that is more trouble than its worth. Thus I do not believe in the European Union.

I voted with both heart and brain this time - which isn't always the case, sometimes I put more emphasis on one of them - and I thought of the things here and now that matters the most to me - and no, no party's political agenda appeals to me and my views completely - animal welfare and the environment add to that party representatives who actually seem to do their job. I'm so very pleased my vote mattered. And that I have a blog and a blouse and a dream car to match that vote.

: : Doing the right thing for the environment, recycle, can sadly mean a tear shedding personal sacrifice. I broke my beloved recycled silverware spoon bracelet when I visited the recycle station yesterday. It can be mended but as my forte is not soldering I'll have to find someone who masters that skill. I didn't need this, I didn't deserve it, I was only doing my wee bit for the environment and future generations.

: : It's very cold for this time of the year. It feels more like the end of August than the beginning of June. We enjoyed some gloriously sunny days over a week ago, after that it has mainly been gloomy, rainy, windy and quite, quite cold. I even, ridiculously enough, have to have the heat pump on in the evenings. Grump.

: : Cold and wet outside makes for a perfect excuse - as if you'd need any - to watch movies, drink tea and crochet. A lot. I even think I might be developing a crochet finger muscle fever. Still I am hooked.

: : Which also now, at last, seem to be the case with the birds and the (in)famous brass apple hook. They're into their sixth apple and the exstatic chirpy flap around way they act around make me suspect the apples might have gone down the fermented path.

: : I've also been pondering about how to meet inquiries regarding things that actually involve your professional life. By implication providing your services for free. And now I'm not thinking about favours and semi-quid pro quo services for friends and other sweet, deserving people, I'm talking acquaintances or virtual strangers. I'm not interested in providing free services in general, but where do you draw the line without coming off as a complete greedy grump?

Here I'm also taking into account the times I've gotten wonderful free services with the provider not asking anything in return - but apart from being so grateful of course, me always returning with at least some small token of appreciation for all the help - maybe this should be my way of paying that forward? What goes around comes around. Karma.

: : I have been doing a dash more of the seemingly never ending story of closet cleaning-second hand shops-charity thing. Some garments I still do hang on to for sentimental reasons only, others I have this (not so) brilliant idea about that one day they will so definitely fit again, but most clothes I don't use I have no plans on ever using again I put in a box and away they magically go. To a new wearer, to a new life.

For many reasons I'm not even close to the happy clothes-shopper I once was, still every season the closet cleaning-duty shows its not so pretty face. I swear the clothes multiply in closet secret all by themselves. Revelation.