Amsterdam

Happy Yalda everyone!  I'm sitting smack dab in the middle of this longest night, and I'm surrounded by candles, and lights, and warmth and life is good.

I spent much of the day packing and cleaning, and running around trying to think of a present for my sister-in-law.  

Silvia and I went to Amsterdam around 3 so I could get some wooden shoes.  Mom insisted they be nice, and wearable too!  I got some size 37s  (7) and they take up a HUGE portion of my suitcase!  The stupid thing now weighs a ton!

After buying shoes, Silvia showed me where to find a bookstore Jan suggested that sells English books for only €5!!  I didn't buy anything.  This time....  Afterwards, Silvia and I found a really nice café and had some appeltaart and koffie.  Amsterdam is a pretty nice town.

Then I came home and packed, and cleaned, and that has been my night.

Lolpod:  In the café there was a cat on a shelf above the bar, and Silvia and I could NOT decide if it was real or not!  Finally, he woke up and looked at us sleepily for a while, and then licked his paws, and went back to sleep.  Crazy!  :-D

Weird Moment:  I told you all about my dream of Buddha?  The one where the stones formed his face?  Well, I didn't mention what his face looked like, because it was a bit confusing.  There were six stones, arranged into two rows of three. The first two stones were his eye, the second two were his nose and mouth, and the third two were his ears.  It was strange because he didn't have another eye, and his ear seemed too big.  

Tonight, I was in a book shop in Amsterdam when I just stopped in my tracks.  There, on a high shelf, was a Buddha who, though not made of stone, had the face of my Buddha!  It wasn't the exact face, of course, but more like a rough drawing of it!  I almost fell over!  I took a picture ---->

I guess I should read this comic....