Saturday, Sunday and Monday 15,16 and 17 August 2009: HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICO!!!! Here's a shot of Heidi and Sarah together again!

That's me above today, Monday the 17th of August. As you can see from my eyes, I am tired and in some pain again! I went out for a few hours yesterday just to get outside as I have been stuck inside for more than three weeks now! It was great to get out and all I did was walk a little and stand around - but that was enough to make me feel tired, a little bit in pain and very defeated. You just want to feel better fast and then when you do and then all of a sudden you don't again after doing hardly anything, well, it feels bad! It's just a minor setback and I should know better as this point. Rest, rest, rest. As I said - basically all I did was rest yesterday - just in another setting outside. But maybe the chair I sat in for a while or the short walk I took was too much to ask of my stupid back at this point. I should know the drill by now! It just takes time. I want to rush it all along!

There above you can see Heidi and me yesterday, Sunday the 16th of August. I was in Kuurne at a flea market and Heidi was there too - so I grabbed a photo of us together while I could! My husband and kid sold a lot of stuff at the flea market. They liked it so much they will try at another flea market next week and again one in September. We put the money earned in an -out-to-dinner fund for me, Tom and Ayla. That way, when the three of us want a dinner out together, we can use that money! Money well earned! :-)

And that's me above on Saturday tha 15th of August longing to get outside! The sun was shining and I was getting so fed up with being stuck inside! This week I will take some walks outside? It's time! If I keep resting then it will be harder and harder to move. That's the feeling I have anyway! But it's wrong! I can still take walks and rest. Calm walks! I need a mix of both rest and movement! I need the right balance, that's all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HEIDI'S NICO ON MONDAY THE 17TH OF AUGUST!!!!

Friday the 14th of August 2009: Sarah is back at Face the Day after her longest time ever staying away due to back problems!!!

That's me up there today, Friday the 14th of August, feeling quite good after three weeks of terrible back pain - one that took place at my friend Erika's apartment in New York and one that took place at the hospital back in Belgium. This last one has been spent at home resting. Today is the 2nd day I am finally off the pain pills and you can see it in my eyes above. I feel awake for the first time in three weeks. I have some back pain but mostly neck and shoulder pain right now from three weeks of being imobile. I need to take it easy for two more weeks and try to keep the hernia away. It seems to be okay now. Really okay. I don't know what they did in the hospital those 6 days but whatever it was, it worked!

Finally! Heidi and I are back on Face The Day together after not being on here in so long! Heidi stopped by. It was so nice to see her! At the hospital I didn't want to see anyone because I felt so weak and bad. Now I am in the mood to be human again! I have had some nice visits since I have been home. I hope to get a photo of Heidi and me on here together every now and then! The one above was taken on Tuesday the 11th of August I think or maybe Monday the 10th. Can't recall anymore. All the days have blurred into one!

Felt tired and in pain above. Probably right after I got home from hospital around the 12th of August. You can see it in my eyes.

Ice and pills helped but there was no stopping that pain! It was a whole lot better after the hospital stay though. That was sure a relief! I was so afraid that something went wrong with my prostheses between my L5 and S1. Instead it was just a hernia above in my L4-L5 that we knew would cause trouble eventually but only expected to be a bother in about 10 or so years from now. It came a little too soon. But now I know the warning signs, the things to avoid and what to do if this happens again. If it were to come back, there is pretty minor surgery available that can be a real help. I hope I can avoid that because I know down the road, when I am older as my back ages - that I'llneed other, more serious back operations so I would really like to avoid them right now!

The picture above is from the ER on the 1st of August, 2009. I had pretty much just had the worst planeride of my life - 7 terrible hours of sitting after a week of not sitting at all. I got home from New York and went straight to the ER. Soon after I got two IVs with pain meds...

I feel so much better now!

I had a great time in America and will post some photos of the trip one of these days though my family and friends got links to the photos already and those of you on Facebook can see photos there if you are interested!

That's all for today! Time to rest!

Sunday 9 August 2009: a swell party this was

Heidi says: Very last minute, we needed to Dj on Benenwerk for Radio Modern in Bruges this night from midnight to 2. It was a very nice party with lots of happy dancing people. And another occasion to dress up. I love dressing up!!!! I love the 40s, 50s and early 60s. This dress I am wearing is my Joan-dress. I named it after the Joan-character in Mad Men.

Sunday 2 August 2009: checking in

Heidi says: waiting and thinking and waiting and breaking my head... This is not the easiest time of my life.

Monday 20 July - 25 July: Heidi's trip to les Vosges in France

Saturday 25 July 2009: our last sleeping place: chambre d'hôtes in La Chapelle au bois ( very nce building but such bad taste inside... pity)/ picture taken by Yma on a walk

Friday 24 July 2009: some castle in some village/ Funny!

Thursday 23 July 2009: just awake. Breakfast is the best when you're camping!!/ Picture taken by Yma/ A hard day's night/ Yes, she IS doing the dishes!

Wednesday 22 July 2009: hungry in Colmar/ tourist train in Colmar/ air in Kayserberg. I want to celebrate Christmas or New Year in that last village one day. So cosy!!!

Tuesday 21 July 2009: Le lac du Gerbepal. Nice lake but very exploited. Icecream, hotdogs, boats and people everywhere.

Monday 20 July 2009: The beginning. Putting up the tent. Enjoying the new surroundings.

Saturday 11 July through Tuesday 14 July 2009: Here's Heidi finally after cutting Sarah and Ayla's hair today!

Sarah says:
And HERE'S HEIDI!!! It's been a while! She's alive and well! That's us above today - Tuesday the 14th - just after she cut my hair! It was good to see her again. It feels like ages ago!

That's Ayla today as well with her new haircut - done by Heidi. Isn't Ayla starting to look older all of a sudden?! Time is flying. I sometimes seriously feel like I have a teenager on my hands!

That's me above in a silly photo from yesterday - Monday the 13th of July. What is with my mouth? Fake smile maybe? Attempt to hide my yellow snaggle tooth for once?

There I am above on Sunday the 12 of July after waking up after having gone to bed at around 4am after having been to a festival under windmills. We got caught in the pouring rain during a great concert by Madensuyu during Kortrijk Conge. As you can see in the photo, it had been a very, very long night!

And since Heidi wasn't around, I took a photo with Yma at Kortrijk Conge on Saturday the 11th of July. She's the next best thing to Heidi!

I am off to The States on Thursday and will try to post on here when I get the chance - if I get the chance! Stay tuned! It's getting harder to get onto the computer these days as I am bust from morning to night lately cleaning house and running around. All good stuff but it keeps me away from the Internet.... Tomorrow I have to pack half the day and clean up some more and say goodbye to Tom and Ayla!!! I will miss them so....

Thursday and Friday 09 and 10 July 2009: Sarah has two days off from cleaning up the house and this means her back feels almost better again!

Sarah says:
Man was I in a bad mood some of yesterday the 10th of July as you can see above. But it went away fast. I had a nice day with Tom and Ayla - I so love this little family of mine!

Photo above is from Thursday the 9th of July. I met friends for lunch. It was nice. Great group of women from all over the place.

I need to get Heidi on here again! Maybe later today!

Now I am off to watch the Gilmore Girls with my kid who just woke up. I wish I had slept late. Tonight I will stay up all night for some celebrations going on in Kortrijk. Arghhh...

Friday through Wednesday 03 to 08 July: Face The Day is falling behind like we predicted - but I still have a photo from each day!

Sarah says:

Above is of me today - Wednesday the 8th of July. I have been cleaning house most of the day. It feels great! My back hurt and my knee too but it all seems worth the pain - though I hope it goes away soon! The combo of moving boxes when cleaning up the office and moving stuff while cleaning house plus riding a bike and wearing more high heals than usual - has thrown my back out a bit! I hate that my back will always be my weak point! The good thing is that since my back operation, the pain tends to go away quickly!

That's me above yesterday - Tuesday the 7th of July. It was a very-good-news kind of day. Can't you see it in my eyes?! :-). I can't say why or what but it seems to be all good and exciting stuff! For now it's my secret...

That's me above on Monday the 6th of July. It was yet another day of house-cleaning and it felt great to clean out old boxes. We threw and gave so much away - plus we have tons of stuff to sell at a boot sale in August!

Above is a photo from Sunday the 5th of July taken in Arnhem, The Netherlands during a huge fashion happening there. It was a nice weekend and day with the family and with Tom's parents.

Above and below are photos from Saturday the 4th of July still in The Netherlands but this time in Hoge Veluwe National Park at the Kröller-Müller Museum.

In the below photo I am once again with ASG! Two weekends in a row! Imagine that! It was great to see her and TSG and Dirk. The weather was perfect too. We rode bikes all around the park and enjoyed the art at the museum. My daughter struck the poses of the people in all of the paintings. She made a great time of it. Fabulous day!

Above you can see me again in Arnhem, where our hotel was, on Friday the 3rd of July. That statue is Grietje. She was all dressed up for the Arnhem Mode Biënnale. I have tons of great photos from that and from our day in the park and at the museum, which you can see if we are connected on my Facebook page.

And finally - Post Secret. It's been a while! Actually, there weren't really any this week that caught my eye but the above one I had saved long ago for the right moment. I guess now is it! I can so relate to what is said above. It's not that I had any idea at all what would happen in advance - so that I can't really relate to. It's the thing about it having been months... In Belgium there is a 3 month period from when you get fired to when you actually stop working. That's a long, long time and it was rough. You have to get up each day without real motivation. It wasn't easy. I am glad that period is now over and I can put everything in a good and positive perspective and place. Those 3 months jaded me for a while. Now they are behind me and I really look forward to what's coming next...

And below you can see a selection of photos from our day at the museum. It was superb! Ayla enjoyed the art and kept herself busy as you can see below. She and I rode more than 25 kilometers through the park as well! Not bad for bike novices...

Wednesday and Thursday 01 and 02 July 2009: Heidi and Sarah go to the unemployment office twice...And it's FLASHBACK 1st OF THE MONTH AT FACE THE DAY!

Sarah says:
No time for Flashback first of the month just now. Maybe later! Below you can see Heidi and me yesterday. We tried to go to the unemployment office but it was closed! Just our luck. So we returned today and then went to the "work shop" afterwards and now it seems to be all official. I have to run! Good things lined up for this afternoon I'm hoping!


Okay - now I have time for Flashback 1st of the month! Above you can see me and Heidi on 01 July 2009 - yesterday after a failed attempt at going to the unemployment office. I, for one, look quite tired up there. Look at my little eyes! Bad sleeps. Hot in the attic!!!

That's Heidi all alone above exactly 1 year ago on 01 July 2008. I was away in France on vacation and I had put some random photos on later than month. I think the one below was of me on 01 July 2008... To see exactly what Heidi was up to one year ago click here!

So as I said - that's me above in France doing as the French do! To see more about what was happening around this time last year, click on this link!

That's me above exactly 2 years ago on 01 July 2007 with short hair and some kind of attitude. To know what was going on, have a click here!

Last but not least, above you can see me and Heidi not only 3 years ago today once, but twice! Heidi was pretty pregnant as you can see in the photo above from 02 July 2006. The other one on the left is from 01 July 2006. Click here to check it out!

And finally - we can't forget to say:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our buddy ASG!!!!
Her birthday was 01 July! We hope she had a great one!!!!!