Saturday, February 28, 2009

Uplifting, empowering postcards

My dear friend Shona has always been a person who can touch you with her poetic words, given at just the right time. She has sent me many wonderful cards over the years, that I have kept to this day and that still make me smile whenever I see them.

These days, everybody mainly sends emails & cards are becoming an 'old-fashioned luxury'. But it is a shame. Receiving a card with a powerful message has much more of an impact than an email or e-card could ever have. Not only does it touch you when you first receive it, but also when you hang it up and look at it over and over again.

I therefore think that everyone should have some cards at home to send whenever one feels that a message needs to passed on to a loved one (And I am as guilty as everyone else here...I haven't sent many cards over the last few years either. But I now aim to change this)

Shona has recently created her own collection of postcards & I think they are beautiful. Some may be too esoteric for the general public, but I believe that within the collection, there is something for everyone. Check out her website for the full range.









The inside text:


...and how my hair dances while my face sits silent...smiling inside......

The past is over.

Quietly, I celebrate...














The inside text:

I want you to be the ‘lucky one’ blessed by all the wonders and miracles of a glorious world.

...To Be the one life gives magic to...every day...

I want you to let life love you - like I love you...With stars and wings and roses...

...To be the one so completely in love with being alive...

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Monday, February 23, 2009

Great to be working again

The last few weeks have been quite tiring, but I am feeling more fulfilled than I have done for years. I have started doing a daily radio show (Angel in the morning) on Cool FM and last Friday we played the first ‘full set’ (over two hours!) with our band, RetroMatic at a local live music bar, the Chaos.

All of it is so enjoyable. I have just never been able to find that kind of satisfaction in anything I have been doing in life that has not been connected to music and/or media. It just feels so ‘right’ to be doing this. It’s like coming home to me.

The band performance went pretty good. Of course, we messed up here and there and we realized that we need to make a few changes before our next show. But then, that’s what a live performance is all about. And we couldn’t have figured these things out had we not stood in front of an audience.

The crowd reacted really well to the show though. There were a lot of smiling faces, people singing along, many people shouting ‘Yes!’ as they heard us start certain songs & applause at the end of each one (something you can’t take for granted on an island like Aruba, so inundated with live music that- at times- the audience hardly reacts). And there also was lots a dancing towards the end of the show, which is just the most satisfying thing to see when you’re onstage.

There were pictures taken that night by some of my Cool FM colleagues, I just need to find out where they’ve been posted, so I can add them later.

The owner of the bar came up to us after the show and basically offered us as many gigs as we’d like at that same venue or at a new bar that he has opened recently. So we just have to put our diaries together and see when we’d want to play again.

I have to say though...I wouldn’t want to do this once or twice a week, like some performers do on the island. It needs to stay fun. For us, but for the audience too. So maybe we’ll play once or twice a month...something like that.

As a mother- by the way- I am very happy with the move from being basically a stay-at-home mom, to being a (part-time) ‘working mom’. I gave my all to my kids for the last 6 years, which has been exactly what I had wanted to do. But as they were getting older I craved striking a balance between being a mom with being an individual, with her own wants and needs. So now that’s what I’ve got.

The juggling takes a little getting used to, but it isn’t too hard. Of course, my hours are great...I go to the radio station at about 9am or 9.30 & then I stay until I pick up the boys from school (12.30 & 1pm). So I have all afternoon to spend with them, apart from the few things I need to do online or the bits of practicing I need to do. And band practice is just one evening a week.

I feel so blessed to be doing exactly what I want to do. Yes....life is brilliant!

Monday, February 02, 2009

Daily radioshow

Just wanted to let you all know that today I have started doing a daily radioshow on Cool FM, called 'Angel in the morning'.

So instead of doing my Saturday afternoon show for the station, I now broadcast every mon-fri, 10.30 am- 12.00 pm, Aruban time (-4 GMT)

You can watch and listen to me live on the Cool FM website: http://www.coolaruba.com/

I have to admit though, watching a radio DJ at work is generally bit boring (definitely not the same as watching a VJ ; ) but still....

And you can chat with me whilst I'm on-air. Either by Messenger (angelmorning@live.com ) or just send me a text on Aruba phone number: (297)-747 3562

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hanging out with my boys...

Lucas seems to have a good eye for photography (for a 6-year-old). He walks around the house with a camera and takes lots of abstract pictures, mixed in with photos of the family. The roles seem to be devided like this: Lucas takes the pictures and Aidan poses for him, shouting 'Smile!' whenever he sees the camera. Here's a picture he took of Aidan and myself.



Yesterday, Aidan looked at the mustach from Hans & decided he wanted one too. So my mum drew one on him & attemped (in vain) to turn Lucas into a rabbit. They both fell asleep before I had a chance to clean their faces. It looked so funny when they woke me up this morning with those drawings still on their face.







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