Facebook is going too far! Thanks, but no thanks.

Hi there! Good of you to drop in!

After much deliberation and soul-searching, and a few tears, I have posted the following post on my Facebook timeline just a few moments ago.

So. This is goodbye...

From January 1st 2015 FB is going places with my photos, tastes, thoughts and emotions that I, personally, even though I do post things publicly myself, do not want it to go!
No, I do not want my name connected, unasked, to products or reviews. I'll do my own reviewing, thank you very much, whenever I want to in my blog Rays of Light.
And I do not want to be confronted with 'personalized' advertisements for weight loss or booze, or trips to foreign lands that I cannot afford anyway.

It breaks my heart to have to say goodbye to my FB friends... Many of you, from all over the world, I have never met in the flesh. But I feel I have got to 'know' you, all the same. And I know I will miss you in my life. In fact, I am in tears right now.
But it is a matter of principle.

There still is a way to connect with me, might you want to. You can look me up at my Blogger address for Rays of Light. The address is: http://RaysofLight2.blogspot.com And I also have a public gmail address which I use for connecting to my blog: rkoopman58@gmail.com
I will leave this message up on my timeline until December 31st. And then will delete my FB account.

It has been marvelous to connect with you! Thank you for all the messages, the funny photos, the stories, the thoughts, the mottoes, the cats, the owls, the puppy films, and most of all the music you have sent me.
Have a good life!
  Renée

Frith! I will miss those people!

I will continue this blog though...For as long as I feel the need.

Speak to you soon!

4,500 readers - golly!

Like a snowball rolling downhill, the number of people reading my blog has grown.

And it's such fun to hear from you! A young woman from Dubai (Muslim, dressed in black flowing robes) tells me she feels we have so much in common. An old man from Japan lets me know he agrees with me, and just as often he disagrees with me :-) A woman in India shares her dreams and music. 

Since this blog started out as an experiment, and for my own entertainment only, I am pleased and content with you all who take the time to scroll down my words and pictures.

Whether you read each and every post, or you pick and choose, is up to you and out of my hands. As soon as I upload a post, it is out there. Like a tiny thought balloon in space.

Peace unto you, my friends, where ever you are! Keep dreaming big. Let music fill your heart and nature bless your days.

Oh...and eat your greens ;-)

To thank you, I have looked up one of the nicest videos of one of the sweetest singers around. Enjoy!

Safe Travels

You've done it! - You've clicked 2,001 times on Rays of Light. Here's my thank-you gift for you.

Thank you for reading my blog!

You have NO idea how happy you make me by reading the little stories I upload almost every day. And especially YOU, Dianne Overbeeke, as you've just pushed the ticker past the 2,000 mark.

What gives me such a kick is that people from all over this world are interested enough to click on my blog, simply by looking at a #. And thinking: oh, I'd like to read about that.
 It means that we are all connected.

Yes, Russia, we are connected. Yes, South-Korea, South-Africa, Australia, India, far away though you may be, we are connected. Yes, Canada, we are connected. And New Zealand, just saw you appear this morning, hi there!

And my European readers who share this continent with me: we are connected. 
Spain! How are you? Ever since I visited your country when I was a child of 5, I've loved it.

I am very happy that we are "in-tune" so to speak. And hope our virtual relationship will prove fruitful, colourful and beautiful. Tot de volgende keer!

I've been pondering a suitable thank-you gift for you all (I believe in bestowing gifts).

The last time I gave you a recipe. I think this time I will give you a song.

You'll find the link below this post.

A romantic song by WOTE - one of my favourite bands

Chapter 3 - Part 1

Chapter 3 - part 1

November slowly but surely slid into December. Isa kept herself busy. She had landed a nice assignment for a new women’s magazine, having pitched furiously to get it, and the glow of having got the job lasted her almost until Christmas. Then, as she had feared, the warm feeling of achievement faded, and she found herself on the slippery slope once more. 

Ellen invited her over for Christmas dinner, but the thought of having to sit through an evening with Ben and Ellen’s overbearing Mum-in-Law (“Have I told you about Ben’s chance to become a partner in his firm, I always thought he had it in him, he does take after me, you know, I would have been a great professional, had I ever looked for a job, blah-blah-blah”) gave her a case of instant tummy-ache. So she made up an excuse and stayed at home, overfeeding Tom on expensive smoked Gravad Lax and drinking an entire bottle of Chardonnay and then being violently sick.

The next morning found her on the Zeedijk along the Haringvliet, trying to walk off her hangover before her girls would arrive for dinner. She might be turning into a lush, but she’d be damned before she would let it show to her daughters.

 The wind blew her hair straight into her eyes, almost blinding her to her surroundings. Gulls shrieked at her, and a couple of moorhens called from the water’s edge. Last night’s rain had made the path slippery, especially at the patches where sheep’s droppings littered it. The sheep themselves had been moved to meadows closer to their pen. It gave the dyke an empty feeling, desolate and grim. Isa allowed the wind to push her along, hardly watching where she put her feet. So it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when her heel got caught in the cattle grid and broke off, but it did. She almost fell, and only just managed to keep her balance by gripping the barbed wire on top of the sheep wire. (Copyright Renée Koopman – If you steal this, you are a very bad person!)

“Ouch!”

Pain and frustration made her lose it, and she howled wordlessly into the wind. 

“Can I give you a lift?”

 Isa screamed again at the unexpected sound of the voice behind her. She whipped her head around, and apparently looked frightening enough to make Dirk take a bewildered step backwards. He kept his bicycle between them as he gave her a tentative smile. 

“We’ve met, you bought me a tea,” he said. 

“What? Tea? Oh...yes. I did, didn’t I?”

Taking a deep breath, Isa realised he looked positively scared. Mustn’t upset the locals, Isa, she admonished herself. 

“Dirk! Hi! How are you?” she asked brightly, at the same time hiding her bloody hand behind her coat. 

“Fancy meeting you here. Were you cycling to Hellevoetsluis?”

He nodded, giving her another smile, but kept his bike firmly in position. 

“I was just on my way to...I was walking...I lost my heel. I keep losing things when we meet, don’t I?” 

This time his smile flashed broadly. 

“Yep. First your hat, now your heel, and soon your mind,” he grinned. 

Isa felt herself agreeing before his last word had fully sunk in. 

“Yeah, I...What?” 

But he had gotten hold of his bike, and offered his carrier with an old fashioned gallantry. 

“Hop on. I’ll give you a lift back to town.” 

They rattled over the cattle grids and slithered along the path, pushed by an ever stronger growing wind. Isa had to hold on to his coat with both hands, leaving a few specks of her blood on the denim. Dirk didn’t attempt to speak, but simply concentrated on not crashing the bicycle. They passed the monument to the Great Flood of 1953 on their left, its rusty styles a reminder of the spot where the sea dyke was breached. After the last bend they reached the fork in the path where you can choose between continuing along the Zeedijk, or going towards the tennis club. 

“Where do you want to go?” shouted Dirk. 

“Oh, anywhere is fine. You can let me off now,” Isa replied.

“I’m going to the Vesting, myself. But I can take you anywhere you like.” 

“I live in Nieuwenhoorn. But my car is at the car park just outside the Haaven. So you can drop me off there, if that’s not inconvenient.”

 “Sure, no problem”.
© Renée Koopman

Chapter 2 - Part 2

Delftware, as found on Isa's windowsill

Chapter 2 – Part 2

“Why don’t you look on the Internet?” said Ellen.

 “On the Internet? Look for what?” 

Ellen took another handful of Macadamia nuts and crunched them away noisily. 

“Guys. You know, dating sites.” 

Isa nearly choked on her wine. 

“Are you mad? I’m fifty-three!” 

“So? It’s not as if you’re past it! You look okay. In fact, you look great! Lush, voluptuous...” 

“Over-weight you mean.” 

“No, I mean attractive. You may not see it yourself, but you still get stared at, Isa. You can still pull, girl! But you’ll have to make a bit of an effort. You’ve let yourself go a bit.”

 “Gee, thanks, girlfriend!” 

Ellen had to ward off a well-aimed black olive.

 “Seriously, Isa. Paint your nails, go see your beautician, get your hair done, better still, let’s go to that spa we talked about. We could...”

 “You are a raving lunatic! Besides, I don’t have the money to go to a spa. Or go to a beautician. I have to live on one salary now, remember? And I have no, absolutely no inclination to ‘pull’, as you so charmingly put it. I have done my pulling. My pulling days are over.” 

With heated cheeks and flashing eyes, Isa did indeed look sexy. If only she could see it herself, thought Ellen. She watched her friend, critically trying to see her with fresh eyes, and noted the good teeth, generous mouth, shapely legs, elegant hands, creamy skin and ample boobs.

 “You’ll get awfully lonely.”

 “Why?” Isa got up to get the wine out of the fridge. 

“Why would I get lonely?” she persisted as she returned, stumbled over a cushion on the floor and splashed a wave of Ellen’s wine down her friend’s new shirt. (Copyright Renée Koopman – If you steal this, you are a very bad person!) 

“Shit! Sorry, El. I have no time to get lonely. I see approximately three customers a week, all of them with their issues, and their quirks, and let’s not forget their egos! I talk to my darling daughters. I have my cat. I have you.” 

Frowning, Isa slugged back her wine and then shot Ellen a look.

“Fuck, that sounds boring,” she muttered. 

“I rest my case.” 

Ellen looked like Isa’s cat when he had got to the quiche. She loved being right. 

“Okay. First thing’s first. Boot up, Google some sites, write a profile, and then put up your feet and wait for all those gorgeous guys to contact you.” 

Isa blew a raspberry. 

“All those old, divorced, freaky, nerdy, mummy’s boys you mean. You know the old saying, don’t you? All the nice men are either gay or still married.” 

“Christ, that IS an old saying, from the Eighties, I’d say. I’m serious, Isa. Do something, or you’ll end up old, grumpy and very alone, mark my words!” 

Isa looked thoughtfully at her oldest friend, and filed away her remarks to be mulled over in the near future, when she was alone. 

“Want a top-up?” she asked instead. 

Ellen looked at her almost full glass, one eyebrow quizzically up, thinking about her childhood friend and her tendency to become quite a bit of a soak. She used to envy Isa. Isa The One Who Has It All, she used to secretly call her. Used-to. Now she felt a bit smug. Her own husband was sitting on her own couch right at this instant, safely watching Eurosport Live. No risk of him straying to greener pastures. Safe, sweet, boring Ben.

 “Oh, what the hell, life is for living, and I’m on my bicycle anyway.”
© Renée Koopman

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Good riddance to 2013 and hello to 2014.

And I'm curious. Did you make New Year's Resolutions yet? And what are they???

Anyway: I'd like to wish you a wonderful "Old Year's Eve", and hope you will have a smashing time and that 2014 will bring you all you desire (but be careful what you wish for :-)

I will be logged out for a while; time to spend entirely and solely with my family. But I'll be seeing you in the new year. Do visit Rays of Light again (and again and again).

Lots of love,

Renée XXX

Blog Update: How Starting this Blog has Changed my Life :P

Hi, folks!
Here's your enthusiastic blogger from the Wetlands again.

With Gina

This Blog, Rays of Light, has been up and running for a month now. And wow! I mean: wow!

There's this thingy called 'Stats' next to my composing page, and it shows me that you, my reader, come from far-flung places like South-Korea, Russia, Canada, the USA, Australia, South-Africa, Morocco, as well as nearer countries (Germany, England, Serbia, The Netherlands).

Welcome!

I am SO happy to meet you!

Except, I don't meet you, do I? You read my post and then you steal away in the night...

I try to imagine you. You are sitting in an easy chair, with a cup of coffee nearby (or tea, if you're in South-Korea, I expect), or with a beer. It's hot in Australia, I've been told. And you take some minutes to read my words.

What is your life like? Do you enjoy your work? Do you have work? Are you happy? Are you with loved ones around you, or are you lonely? Or alone by choice? Do you have children? Do you, like me, keep pets? What subjects of mine do you enjoy? Or don't you like at all?

You see...I don't know! I'm writing away totally absolutely utterly in the dark here!

My dream

I used to dream about publishing a magazine. But a lack of funds has stopped me so far. And being careful; taking out a loan is simply not my thing. 

This blog is the nearest I've come to fulfilling this dream. Sure, I've published books, but this is different. I try to come up with subjects which I hope you will enjoy reading about. And they are, as you have found out, rather eclectic. 

I look at those stats, and think about how many of you have read about my tomcat, and let myself be inspired by this. So there will be more posts about my pets. And about my photographer son. And about Sarah McQuaid :-) - my best read post yet (if you don't count the opening one about when I started out on this adventure).

But: you CAN have some influence, if you like. There is a 'comment' gadget beneath the blog. And a 'follow' gadget on the right hand side. So....want another cat or dog adventure? Let me know!