Annual Hestia Retreat

Every year we gather in Ommen:  a group of  wise women endeavouring to help move the world into a more peaceful and sustainable state of being. Through the recognition that we are all connected, in the light. The endeavour  is practising the living-in-a-circle, without judgements and open to the wisdom that presents itself.

We had a great time practising social dreaming:  in a meditative state associating with what we have dreamt which associations present itself to us, based on the idea that a dream is a collective sort of thing, which reveals itself in different images or occurrances.

The first dream was about the importance of food', including information and emotional 'food'.

The second one was about a shared parachute jump, holding each other, trusting eahc other on our way to a new era, not knowing yet where we would land.

Visit to Hanna and Jaco in Maastricht

On july 16th, it was still raining, Robert and I spend a very nice weekend with Hanna and Jaco.

Hanna always spoils us with good food, good cooking, and good care, zo that we can really relax. We enjoyed  the easy- going and the warm  welcome, the beautiful garden and the being together.

For a change we visited the Bonnefanten Museum.

There were two interesting expositions.

1 about the artist that Joost made his final art school thesis and project about Sol LeWitt: pictures right and below.... 

'Great art can communicate, before it is understood' T.S. Eliot

2. beautiful wooden sculptures from the middle ages 

 

And here are Robert and Jaco, enjoying the view into the garden.

A magnificent wedding party!

On the 22d of July, our dear cousin Taco (son of Bert and Marleid) married his love Tina, and it was great to be part of this beautiful wedding party.

Robert and Meike are watching the ceremony!

And here are the tallest ones of the De Nooy family together: from left to right:

Lisette (daughter of Babette, Roberts 2d sister, and Cees), Bart (Roberts brother, from Canada) our daughter Meike, Jorien (Taco's sister) and Robert. Bart is over 2 meters tall, Meike is 1.85 cms.

And here (foto right) is our son Joost with his girlfriend Emmy.

And here's the beautiful radiant bride, Tina

July 12-15 Cycling holiday with Robert,

.

 For our summerholiday, Robert and I had planned a 9-day cycling tour through the Netherlands, spending the nights with friends and family, that we hadn't seen for a while. It all went differently, due to the heaviest rainfall ever on the 13th and 14th of July.

It started all right though, with our first day being quite sunny: we crossed the national park the Veluwe on our way to Marja ands Jan in Ermelo.

This circle, laid-out  in the middle of the sanddunes, reminded me cheerfuly, and quietly, of the interconnectedness of each and all of us.                                                                

 Next day the rain was dreadful and we got soaking wet.

The little brook in the woods was flooding, which hardly ever occurs here. 

But we did have a nice 4-day cycling trip and enjoyed being together, just the two of us, without responsibilities for the house, the children, the vegetable garden. Also the rythm of the physical exercise of cycling was relaxing in itself. And underway I was reminded of the circle of wise women/ crones that I am part of.  On the afternoon of the 14th we arrived soaking wet at Josine's place, where she gave us warm tea and a warm blanket in chairs next to the open fire, in order to become human again. All this complemented by a very nice evening meal in good company.

Wales Coastal Path July 27th- July 5th

Since Robert and I returned from Moldova to the Netherlands, on april 30st, my life-journey has seen a chain of interesting and heartwarming events, of travel and deepening friendship; developments in the lives of Meike, Joost and my parents; experiencing the dynamics of living in connection, connected; the art and  importance of loving dear ones, even when you don't agree.... "Never a dull moment", Robert's mum would have said. 

End of June and beginning of July, my long time friend Anneke and I had a great time walking the Pembrokeshire coastal path: from Milford Haven to Martins'Haven in two days, each carrying 15 kilo's on our backs, camping and enjoying the beautiful landscape, the beautiful weather, our friendship and life.

We were lucky to be able to stay 2 nights

with my friend Sue on Skomer Island;

Sue is, for this summer, the hostel-manager

on Skomer Island. And it was so good

to see her again.

 It was an unbelievable expierence, especially to feel and hear the Manx Shear-waters(stormvogels)  fly in at night, screaming to find their mates and to feed their young in their underground holes.

The picture right shows a shearwater abiout to enter its hole; above you can see how the whole island is covered with their holes.  

The shearwater come only at night as otherwise they will be eaten by the big black seagulls, that are a-plenty around there.

It was as if the whole earth was trembling, and we felt tiny, taking part in this force of nature. The pictures show the holes of the Shearwaters and how far they fly to brood here at Skomer Island.

Of course ther were puffins (papagaaiduikers)  almost everywhere around. The island is famous for it!  

So as you see, I enjoyed this week tremendously!

May - August 2011, 4th event Pieterpad-hike

Til Polee and I started the Pieterpad-hike with a 2-day walk. Peter's Path is a walking trail from the North to the South of the Netherlands, starting at Pieter-buren and ending at the Pieter's berg ( hill)  near Maastricht, hence the name.

Starting on the 13th of June,Whitsuntide, under a full moon, we regarded it as a healing hike for both of us. For me it also served  as practise in advance of the 6 days hike in Wales, with my longtime friend Anneke, planned  for June 27th till July 5th, to celebrate both our 60st birthdays, our friendship, our being still fit and in good health

We had beautiful weather and enjoyed the endlessness and beautiful skies of the flat rural landscape.

May - August 2011; 3d event, my birthday on May 21st

Since Robert and I returned from Moldova to the Netherlands, on april 30st, my life-journey has seen a chain of interesting and heartwarming events, of travel and deepening friendship; developments in the lives of Meike, Joost and my parents; the dynamics of living in connection, connected; the art and  importance of loving dear ones, even when you don't agree.... "Never a dull moment", Robert's mum would have said. 

Saturday May 21st, my birthday: between all the rainy days, this was the only sunny day and a radiant one!

My good old friends from my student time in Wageningen sung a wonderful account of my life, as you can see in this picture. How well they know me and how I love them!   

 Joost was in charge of the music and performed with Meike  

and with a good friend of his, Rens

and with a good friend of his, Rens:

I myself felt so immensely grateful to be surrounded by loved ones.

Here with Hanna, and with my spiritual women's group, Hestia 

May-August 2011, 2d event

Since Robert and I returned from Moldova to the Netherlands, on april 30st, my life-journey has seen a chain of interesting and heartwarming events, of travel and deepening friendship; developments in the lives of Meike, Joost and my parents; the dynamics of living in connection, connected; the art and  importance of loving dear ones, even when you don't agree.... "Never a dull moment", Robert's mum would have said. 

On May 19th I had organised a workshop for the Association of Environmental specialists (VVM , see website www.vvm.info) on our making a contribution to the National Dutch Agenda for Sustainability; this Agenda which will be announced by the government in the beginning of September, in its next year programme.

 The 19th turned out to be a great dialogue about the 10 steps which we advise towards a dynamic agenda for sustainability. Warnings also about the 'framing' and 'echo-chambers' that have come into being, which divert attention of the real problem.

 The 10 steps are:

1. stimulate diversity, complexity and interconnectedness; for a resilient and robust society, diversity is a basic ingredient, as has been proven by (scientific study of) nature and ecology.  This diversity rule goes for social activities and coherence , ecological development and economic development (global, regional and local systems, not just one of them!) 

 2. Use and relate to human measurements and golden ratio in town and countryside development; people are making a sustainable society when their daily surroundings are socially and culturally sustaining, healthy, and contributing to our physical, mental and  human senses. In short, we need a recogniseable environment;  the built environment should mirror the ways in which we have organised ( sustainable) living, and preferably give us feed back about our (either or not sustainable) behaviour. 

3. Express the values from which you work, like i.e. partnering with nature, ;

4. Involve all stakeholders, including young and old people and their (endogenous) knowledge and experience;

5. Act from personal development and leadership;

6. Use renewable energy, diminish footprint;

7. Sustain sound soils and use water carefully

8. Ecological & social footprint - measure and calculate effects,  negative and positive, before acting!

9. Values: discuss from which human and cultural values you undertake new actions or policy

May till August 2011

Since Robert and I returned from Moldova to the Netherlands, on april 30st, my life-journey has seen a chain of interesting and heartwarming events, of travel and deepening friendship; developments in the lives of Meike, Joost and my parents; the dynamics of living in connection, connected; the art and  importance of loving dear ones, even when you don't agree.... "Never a dull moment", Robert's mum would have said. 

Here's a first event...

May 11 - 14 visit with Lindsay in South Horrington/ Wells, sharing our friendship, wine, good food;  meeting with her writing group, experiencing Evita, the Bath Spa.

Special 'chimneys'to amkke Rhubarb grow taller! A beautiful lunch concert and a sermon by a friend of Lindsay's, about the importance of crossing a border:  be open to whatever opens up to you and trust!