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

4,000 readers - Let Me Brighten Up Your Day!

"Happiness is not a destination. It is a way of life"

This is what we in my country call "tegeltjes-wijsheid" (wall platter wisdom), and the shops are full of those wall decorations at the moment.

I have the one I started this post with hanging on my living room wall. To remind myself (and my family) that it is no use at all to keep living in the future, because "when I am....(fill in the blank yourself) THEN I will be happy" is a waste of precious time. It is NOW that you should live for. And if you can make now a happy time, in however small a way, perhaps even for just a moment, then you have achieved something worthwhile.

You, in Thailand, in Sri-Lanka, in China, in Sweden, in France, in Germany, where-ever you may live, you brighten up my days by reading Rays of Light. Writing is an urge, for me. This blog has taken the place of the diaries I used to keep. With the big difference that now I write things that will be read by others. So I censor myself. And this restriction is a positive thing, as it forces me to keep looking at the bright side.

Sure, I do have my darker moments (and blogs), but I'm certain you will understand. I am human.

This girl is an image of the girl I am deep down. And there is a girl (or boy) like this hidden deep within you too.

So this is my thank-you to you all reading my blog this time. Do visit (and read) again!

Until next time! (And don't forget to check out the musical link down below!)

Renée

For you: the wonderful Ms Rory Block

3,000 Readers: thank you for visiting and reading my blog! Here's your thank-you gift.

Hi there!
Well, congratulations! You've done it again! My little reader-counter-gadget says that this blog has been visited (and read) by over 3,000 readers.

Thank you!
I've seen visitors appear from China this time. Welcome! And Russia still features with quite a large group of people, which gives me a slight buzz. The reason for this is that I have been raised during the Cold War, and it makes me happy to see that there are people in Russia who are on the same peaceful/mindful wavelength I am.

Right. I believe in bestowing gifts. So this time I've found you something cute by Paper Butterflies Wall Art (the website I have found this on).

Isn't it lovely?!

And I'll leave you with some music, obviously. I have thought long and hard about what I would single out for you, and have found this:

a lovely lullaby by Susan McKeown

It goes well with the wall art, even if you don't have little children. You can always search for the child within you ;-)

Goodbye, and see you again soon. (PS Happy selfie with my daughter-in-law)

Slowly Coming Back to Life - a little something to make you smile.

Good morning, World!
(I have the right to say this, as I see readers from Malaysia to Russia to Canada to Australia :-)
Lately I've been boring you with progress reports of my flu...Sorry about that.
To cheer you up, and to celebrate that I'm starting to feel better, I'll post a quickie. But it's a fun quickie!
O Fortuna - with a twist

This has made me laugh so hard I nearly choked from coughing.  Poor Orff...I'll never be able to listen to the original again now without thinking about this version.
Have a fun day!

I Did It!!! Thanks for all your support!

Yesterday I told you about my irrational fear of driving our Volkswagen Transporter, didn't I?

Well. I DID IT.

And it was...fine, really. I told myself I was going to drive that car, and I wasn't even nervous...except for one moment whilst driving into the Benelux tunnel.

I took a terrible selfie to prove to you I'm not fibbing, but for some strange reason my phone refuses to upload it to Google Drive and hence to this blog.

Anyway...I'm very happy I took this hurdle, as it means I can drive to my choir practice instead of having to take a bus late at night. Tra-lalalala!

Have a smashing Sunday, you! I know I will!

Those people sending me uplifting messages yesterday...thanks so much!

My 'selfie' to prove it...

HURRAY! 1,506 readers for Rays of Light - And that's YOU!

I am SO pleased!
When I started this little blog on Nov. 24th, I had no idea that I would get so much satisfaction out of uploading my day-to-day posts about my life.
What makes a writer? The readers! The fact that people make the effort to read about my birds, my rabbit, my cat, my dog, my music, my opinions, my pet peeves, my recipes, and my family gives me the drive to keep it up.

Publishing books the ordinary way was satisfying, and getting good reviews even more, but the Dutch language-area is tiny. Thus seeing in my stats 1,506 'hits' in 8 weeks may not be much when your name is Beyoncé, but when your name is Renée 'Nobody' it's a grand total!

Thank you. Wherever you are (and you are all over the world...I can seeeeeeee you :-) 
To thank you properly, I've uploaded a little song for you (hopefully the copyright people will let it go as well). Hope you enjoy it. See you again soon.
 Renée.
Let it go