Monday 3 November 2008: Heidi is very sad, as Yma Sumac is no more

Sarah says:
Note to self - where more color - makes you look more awake and alive even when you are sleepy and half-dead.

Heidi has a short surprise visit today as you can see below. She can tell you about it...



Heidi says:
I never thought it would happen. Or maybe I was terribly naive. Yma Sumac died on Saturday. She appealed to Nico and me so much that we named our daughter after her: Yma. Tonight it's Yma-time! Let's all play our Yma-records and dance our ass off!!!!!

When Yma was asked how she wanted to be remembered, she said:
"That I made good music and made happy their hearts"

Sunday 2 November 2008: Sunday funday for Heidi and blah-day, sigh-day for Sarah...

Heidi says: no, those are not my first grey hairs. They are my blondes popping through. I think I need to dye my hair again... Or maybe not. Who cares...

Sarah says:
Just had to get some Halloween on to these pages. Valerie and Peter's kids spent the weekend with us and we had some Halloween fun. They dressed up as you can see below and Marv made a little movie of them which you can click on to watch below. Spooky! As for me, I loved having these lovely kids as usual. They are a joy! Today after driving them home I got sad on the drive back though. My mind just wandered to Peter who I saw for the last time pretty much exactly a year ago today and it still can really be painful thinking about it all. Not always - just at moments. The weather and the darkness on the way home just reminded me of exactly this time last year. And then I started to feel angry - angry at cancer and sick of cancer. It made me mad and I cried in the car and I just was cursing cancer in my head!!! It's evil and we all have to live with it and sometimes die with it and watch people we love suffer with it and the people who love them suffer with it. I hate that cancer took Peter away and my cousin Gil away so young. I hate that my sister-in-law had to struggle through breast cancer and that she and my brother fear its return. It just pisses me off this fact of life! There, I said it. I wish saying it made me feel better but right now it really doesn't. Cancer sucks and can go to hell!
There above you can see the kids all dressed up with nowhere to go! And below, you can see the video Marv made. It looks darker on some screens than on others - you should be able to make out the faces a bit...




And there below is my Post Secret pick of the week. Why shouldn't gays and lesbians be able to marry? Why should that bother anyone? Everyone deserves to be happy. By now doesn't the world realize that homosexuality is pretty freaking normal and pretty freaking widespread! What's the fuss all about? You can have gay characters all over TV and in movies but they can't live happily ever after because of your vote against it???

01 November 2008 : It's Flashback 1st of the Month at Face The Day! Take a walk down memory lane with Heidi and Sarah....

Sarah says:
It's flashback 1st of the month here. I hope Heidi got a picture today so we can both look back three years in time! It's so fun to do. Above you can se me today all lensed and washed out by the flash. I can't figure out how to stop that dang flash on our new camera.
Heidi says: glad to still be here! Looking older and wiser. Ahum.

Sarah: There above you can see me a year ago today on 01 November 2007 with glasses and a red face late at night... Via this link you can see what was happening at this time last year in my and in Heidi's lives.

Sarah: There I am above two whole years ago today with my great mate MS! She was vsisting! I wish she were here right now. I will call her tonight for sure! It was 01 November 2006 above. Here's a link to go back to that day at Face The Day!

There's Heidi above 1 year ago today in 2007 with very short hair!

And there's Heidi two years ago and one day on 02 November 2006 as we had no 01 November 2006 picture of her. She looks different! (Heidi: logic, I just became mother of Yma a month earlier...)

And there above you can see Heidi and me on a very Fall day three years ago today on 01 November 2005! We have changed a lot and haven't changed at all in these 3 years! Looking back is fun. Via this link, you can go back with us to 3 years ago today!

Friday 31 October 2008: Heidi and Sarah are too busy to deal with Halloween this year! Sorry for that! But we welcome yet another former VTV colleague

Thursday 30 October 2008: Heidi and Sarah happily welcome old VTV colleague Chris to Face The Day!

Sarah say:

Heidi and I were so pleased to see an old colleague of ours from VTV today named Chris. It's been a few years so we had some fun recalling and re-playing past jokes and catching up! Don't we look happy? We love blasts from the past. So nice to say helllloooooooooooooo to him (inside joke).

Wednesday 29 October 2008: Sarah's only picture today is the one of her sending in her vote for OBAMA!!!!!

Sarah says:

If I can vote from here all you Americans out there can and must vote!!!! In Belgium you HAVE TO vote and I think that is fantastic! I hope Americans go out in droves and

VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!!!!

Tuesday 28 October 2008: Heidi has a helmet head and Sarah is seeing starts and stripes and can't wait till 05 November!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah says:

It was a good day. Busy with good stuff! Seeing progress. Loving that. I am still waiting for news from New York though and unitil I get it, I'm going to be waiting and waiting for it with my fingers crossed and my hopes high!

Update just in: good news from New York! It all went okay. So-far-so-good. Whew...

Heidi says:

Woooo! I love that picture! a helmet head, ok, but a good helmet head! I might consider wearing this helmet daily as an accessoire!!!

Monday 27 October 2008: Could Sarah look more tired? And doesn't Heidi look tiny? And Face The Day welcomes Baby Marta Geers today!

Sarah says:
I just look awful and tired in the above photo. My lenses can't stand heat and the dry air. I think I'll just look worn-out from now until the summer! This is what aging seems to be about. You just can't hide the tiredness anymore. There's not enough cover-up or foundation out there to make me look awake. And the darkness - man, man, man is that a hard one. On the one hand, it's really cozy but on the other, it's depressing! Anyway - here's something lovely - look down below and baby Marta! You can see her with her mom Siska and her dad Benoit and with her new rainbow catapiller. It was great meeting Marta yesterday and seeing her happy parents.

Sunday 26 October 2008: This is Sarah just awake with big hair and a droopy eye! and Heidi... Heidi heidi heidi...

Sarah says:

It's not fair to only ever have the nice photos on here. So here you have me in all my morning glory. Big hair. Tired eyes. Morning breath! It's all there for you. I did get the crust out of my eyes for you just to be polite.

Heidi says:

I feel like the poster of Metropolis...

Sarah:

Here's my Post Secret pick of this week. I don't agree with it at all. I think Obama is the best choice anyone could make right now. Yes - both Obama and McCain are certainly not at all perfect. But Obama is 100% the better and best choice if you ask me. You didn't - but this is my blog (and Heidi's of course) and I really hope you Americans out there get out there and make your vote count and that you vote for Obama!

Saturday 25 October 2008: Sarah makes a new sort of quiche thanks to a friend's great recipe! And Nice'n'Hi-de-ho! give the best of themselves!

Heidi says:
wraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw! Madensuyu is in tha house! (see behind us on the screen)

Sarah says:

I'm not praying in the above photo so don't be shocked! Just thinking! Thinking about a lot lately! Cooking a lot on the weekends. It's something I have always loved but it's starting to feel like a hobby because I get such joy from it. I get time alone to think. It's very relaxing.

There above you see a spinach salad and a fantastic butternut squash - endive (witlof) quiche. My friend Steven gave me the recipe and I have to say it's GREAT!!! The texture aloe is divine. You just chop up the squash and cook it enough to get it soft but not mushy and add a bit of nutmeg and maybe a tiny bit of butter if you want. You do the same with endive (witlof) and add salt and pepper - cook the endive till it's browning a bit. Take two eggs mixed with some cream and add a little soysauce (that's what I did anyway) and mix that together. First put cheese on the bottom (on the dough bottom). Then put a layer of the squash, then a layer of the endive. Then pour the egg and cream mix over it. Add a little more cheses on the top if you want. Put it in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Enjoy it!!! The veggies in it are watery so if you don't want it to be too watery -- strain the water out first before puuting it all in the quich dough.

And the Post Secret from this week - late! I chose the below one because, well, you just get the sad feeling that it could be true. Let's hope not!!! I hope Obama gets elected and I hope he stays for 8 years!!! I really hope that no stupid crazy person gets any dumb ideas!!! America needs a guy like Obama right now!

Friday 24 October 2008: It's Nico and Sarah Face The Day at Heidi and Sarah Face The Day!

Sarah says:
Nico is Heidi's stand-in today. I saw him at the first stone-laying of De Kreun's future building in Kortrijk! You can see that stone behind us in the blurrrrrrrrrrrrr. It was good to be out with Tomske (Marv) Friday night. We need to get out more often. We have gotten so busy. It's really good to have some time out alone and with others.

Thursday 23 October 2008: Heidi and Sarah are having just another typical day...

Sarah says:

Sorry for this late posting but Blogger wasn't working last night and thedays are a bit manic anyway. Today I forgot my photo so I think Tonight I'll take today's photo. Heidi won't be where I am but Nico will be so maybe he'll step in for her. Or I'll find aomeone else! Don't mind Heidi there in the back. She's just acting in her usual manner...

Wednesday 22 October 2008: Heidi and Sarah are sniffing Lavender to stay calm...

Sarah says:

These are the lavender days for Heidi and me. When stressed, sniff! That's our new motto!

Tuesday 21 october 2008: Yma Yma Yma (sorry can't help it) and Sarah looks awake and happy even though she's tired and sad...

Heidi says: I know, it's overkill! But then again, it's my blog so I do what Iwant :). Moewahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Sarah says:

Look how happy and awake I look when in fact I am so tired and feeling blue. Just goes to show you - never judge a book by its cover... What we show on the outside isn't always reflective of how we're feeling on the inside.... as if you all didn't know that already... Good to be reminded of the old cliches sometimes...

Monday 20 October 2008: Heidi and Sarah only have time to say hi and Sarah is sorry about this photo...

Sarah says:
Hello and sorry for that view! I hate photos like that but it's the only one we had! I look tired and worn out. Sometimes I think I'll never look or feel awake again...

Later that day:
Today is the 20th of October which gets me thinking about my friend Peter who passed away from cancer a little more than a year ago. On this day last year, my husband and I went to visit Peter in the hospital. On that day it was quite clear to us that he wouldn't live much longer. We sort of knew this could be the last time we saw him. It wasn't though. We also saw him the 1st of November but he wasn't all there with us. He was suffering so much and not very coherent other than for a few moments here and there. That night he went into the hospital and about 19 days later his breathing was stopped. On the 20th of October we had a good talk with Peter. He was at the hospital undergoing chemo and he was busy filling in books for his kids - describing how he felt about them and letting them know a little more about himself. This was part of saying goodbye to his kids. That must have been the hardest part of his whole illness. Saying goodbye to his family and having his family have to say goodbye to him. I assume - but have no idea - that once you know you are going to die that you slowly start to let go of life and the people who are in it. It must be so difficult though to struggle with the idea that people will miss you - people you love so much and who are so dear to you and more so - who you are so dear to. You must just know that they will survive you and struggle with your being gone. You are gone so you have no notion once that happens - but thinking about all that must be really, really tough.

Anyway - that day I gave Peter a card telling him how I felt about him. I had so much more to say but it didn't fit in the card and also it didn't feel right pouring all my struggles with his death onto him. He had enough to deal with and at that point I can only guess that you really have to narrow down your goodbyes and feelings for those who truly mean the world to you - like your kids and partner and siblings and parents if they outlive you. Peter sent me a text message that night that I still have not been able to delete from my phone. It's his last written words to me. Short but sweet - typical Peter. I just can't erase those words yet. I have no idea when I will be able to. I'll be visiting Peter's grave for the first time since his funeral soon. I'm glad. I really miss him and just want to be there close to where his ashes were buried and speak to him in my head and have a quiet moment with only Peter in my thoughts. It makes me so sad to even think about it though. It feels so raw sometimes - while at other times it just feels like life and death and feels rational.

I'm glad I can check back to last year on this day and see what I was thinking via this link. And that I can also look back at other years when Peter was alive still and we were singing together and playing in a band and having fun or spending time with our kids and partners together. A year ago today after seeing Peter I also posted something my sister-in-law had put on her own blog about cancer. Via the above link you can find that. It gives us all something to think about for sure.

In looking back at last year's post on the 20th, I see that I also wished another friend of mine of 10 years a happy birthday. She hasn't died like Peter but it sure feels like she is gone and our friendship is sadly dead for certain as she ended it for reasons still unclear to me and I still really struggle with it because it is unfinished business that makes no sense to me. I wish she could have at least given me a reason other than that I hurt her. I have no idea at all what I did to hurt her. After 10 years of friendship you'd think an explanation is the least one deserves - especially because there were no fights or anything like that. It's so weird. I think I'll never understand it. I guess one day it just won't hurt anymore. It's a reflex to want to wish her a happy birthday today like I have for the last 10 years and stop by her shop and give her some love - but the love is gone and my heart hurts just thinking about her - still.... When does that ache stop? I haven't written about this topic on here until now because it just didn't come out of me without anger so I didn't let it come out. Now it's not anger, it's just sadness...

Sunday 19 October 2008: Sarah has a sleepy Sunday cooking and check out her kid's school photo(s)...and Heidi spends time with family!

Sarah says:
I'm so tired. I feel worn out. All I really did today was talk to some family and friends and then cooked. But I am ready to hit the sack already! I made s great roasted pumpkin, red-pepper, apple, onion, ginger, garlic, brown-sugar, butter, thyme veggie mix as well as a pumpkin, sweet potato, coriander soup. Very delish and gave me some time alone to think a bit in the kitchen and to listen to music.
Above you can see my kid's school picture for 4th grade and below from 4th grade right on down to the first year of kindergarden. She's growing up fast!
Heidi says:

Another nice family day with my... family, this time with my brother Joris and his wife Miek, their son Jesse, my mother and father and of course Nico and Yma! A sweet afternoon!

Yma playing baby

Yma and Jesse

Saturday 18 October 2008: Sarah gets terribly close to a landing hot air balloon on the egg of Kortrijk and Heidi has fun with babyma and Nice!

Heidi says:
fun!!!!

Sarah says:
On our way home from a day out in Gent today, we saw a hot-air balloon sooooooo close to the exit and almost hitting into lamp posts on the roadway! You can see it behind me above after it hit the ground. It was weird to see it tilt over on one side so full of people than bounce back up. Below you can see a nice shot of it just after it went right over the exit road. I have always dreamt of going up in such a balloon but now that I have seen how it can land hard, I think it would be too dangerous for my back as the prostheses in my lower back means I can never jum again without possibily hurting myself badly and the landing certainly looked like a big jump. So I guess that dream, like the oen of jumping out of a plane with a parachute, is gone... My almost 90 year old bad-ass aunt can do it but not me!!!
And there below you see a very, very tired me with the light of my life! Funny how she's starting to look more and more like me. It's about time! I have had this very Belgian-looking daughter for all these years! That hasn't changed of course, but something in her face and expression is really similar to mine. It's not really important but it still feels good to see it. I have no idea why that is - it just is...

Friday 17 October 2008: Sarah's friend Erika meets Ozark Henry and Sarah's old friend Per in New York city at an Ozark concert as Sarah looks on...

Sarah says:
Heidi and I with Erika from afar! Life is so fast with computers and Internet! So funny to get photos from Erika the day after she had a night out with an old Denmark Journalism school friend Per and with Piet from Ozark Henry at his show last night in New York city! I love all these worlds connecting.

There's Erika with Piet from Ozark Henry after his NYC gig. They could be brother and sister.
There's Erika with Per. Here's the story - I had met Tom in Utrecht at the journalism school there. We fell in love. We were together for a nice 5 months or so. I went to Aarhus with Tom very heavy in my head because of course I wanted to stay with him but I couldn't figure out how we could do that with him in Belgium and me in New York without marrying and I wasn't ready for that yet and nor was he. So I felt confused!

I ran into Per at school in Denmark and like Tom, he was friendly, he was an aspiring journalist, he loved music as I recall, he had long hair, he was smart! But unlike Tom, he had an American passport and it turns out he was born at same NY hospital I was. I heard that and I was "in love"! Well -- not in love really but certainly it looked like an escape route in my messed up little head! So I had a crush on Per for a few months even though we hardly even spoke! We were friendly to each other but that was it! The rest was in my head - my messed up head! Anyway - the rest is history as you know! Thankfully Per probably hardly knew I existed so I didn't cheat on Tom or make any bad moves! And marrying Tom was the best thing I ever did because he's great and because we had Ayla of course!!!! So it's really funny to see Erika on here with Per! He's still cute though! That's for sure! And come to think of it - he and Erika look alike too! I was probably just falling for him because I wanted a male version of Erika! Sick in the head! Messed up minds back then! :-)

I really love all these connections to Belgium, New York, Norway, you name it! I love when all these worlds meet of past and present and here and there! Gives me good cheer.