So then, the Bride has two watches, one for in the lottie and another for home and out-and-about. The batteries ran out on both of them on the same day...what are the chances. Well, you can do without one while at home, but one gets in the habit of looking at their wrist from time to time, for no apparent reason. It’s then that you miss your watch. Finally, after a few disappointments, you feel compelled to get it fixed. Now, we. Have an agreement among ourselves that we do not go out and knock-around in town or in stores unless it is necessary. It could be argued that pensionados do not really NEED to know what time it is at any given time. You could sort of call a time-out, in a manner of speaking, right. I would be the first to agree with this premise, in fact I rarely wear watches. I told myself that when I stopped working, I would end my association with timepieces—watches, alarm clocks, grandfather clocks, sun dials...the whole range, personally, I feel that interrupting one’s life flow is abnormal and not natural. Oké, before you form the opinion that I am a complete flake (or is it too late for that?), let me just say that all this big talk was kept securely swept and hidden under the rug for my productive life. It was there, but every day I got up at some ungodly hour to go to work or keep an appointment, it snuck into my mind, didn’t it. All these anti-time thoughts...and yet life revolves around the tea times that segment the days, eating times, telly show schedules...tja, the more I think about it, the more times I can come up with. It seems as though I am just fooling myself, fooling myself all the time.—there’s that word again. To correct my Bride’ suspended time conundrum, we decided to just don the masks and head out to a jeweller in a near-by village and let the chap change the batteries. The Bride took the time to remove the watch and wash the band, explaining that she wasn’t presenting the watch personnel with dirty bands. Everything went well except when she returned to the auto, Mickey was lying sideways. Whoops! Back in. Somehow Mickey had become dislodged during the battery replacement. Right then, he would re-glue Mickey and we could pick it up tomorrow. It needed time to dry properly before wearing, and so there was no time today left today, you see. We were out anyway, so why not head out to the dike and drive back home that way. We headed out to the Provincial highway to drive to another village, Schellinkhout (Skellinkhout in West-Fries). In the centre of the village is the old church, and if you drive up the dike, cross the narrow dike road...you can then drive down the other side to a nice green area with some paved areas for parking. There is a small man-made beach. Kite surfers and sun bathers go there especially in the summer. This time of year, there are folks who bring their dogs there to walk along the edge of the old Zuider Zee. We walked here and there and finally ended up on a memorial bench, looking out to sea. It was not a sunny day, but it was a day with its own charm. There are layers, but they are all grey. The Bride took this shot. Those are geese on the foreground, and the little boat there in the distance had just finished checking his eel nets and was tuffing back in the direction of our harbour. After a while we were getting cold. It wasn’t windy but it was a moist type of coldness that just penetrates the clothing. Burrrrr. Schellinkhout is an agricultural village of about 900 inhabitants. There was a bloke that developed an apple and called it a “Schellinkhouter”. We have one of these trees in our lottie. Can you see where I’m going with this? There on the banks of the Zuider Zee, I was being called. Called from afar...about three kilometres afar. Our home. It was tea time, don’t you know. There it is once again. Time to pack-in and be away.. The last of the apple crumble and vla, warmed up ready for consumption. Truth be known, I am a willing slave to the tea time schedule. Wish you guys were here.
Lovely view! thanks for sharing it with us. ahhh, yes.. the watch saga. I feel your pain. I did fall this Spring while working in the garden and caught my watch on a tomato cage and snapped it right apart. well with covid and all.... I have learned to live without a watch on my wrist and I still keep looking at my wrist for the time.
Thanks MART, you are right about knowing when it is time for tea. I do have to say though—after so many years of tea times, I sort of “feel” when its time. It has become second nature. Chuckle. CAROLYN—thanks, glad you like the view. It works for me. Haha. Well, it works as long as there are no important things going on. But never mind your watch...how are you? Were you injured?
I gave up my watch ages ago when I wanted to improve my golf game I have lots of pendulum clock though because I like them When I gave up my watch (I still have it somewhere) I thought it would be difficult to tell the time but I was surprise there are so many clocks everywhere. First there is the cell phone, the computer, in the car, radio announcement, my secretary - she was always reminding me of the time and my appointments (when I was working ) Now that I am retired there is still the smart phone, microwave oven, the freezer my pendulum clocks, my computer yes they are just everywhere
You know, Dalí showed us that time is fluid. I saw this painting in Florida, I believe. But KK you are right— time tellers are literally everywhere, even in the lottie.
Great story Sjoerd! Sounds like a really nice outing. And, sounds like your internal clock is keyed to the important things in life!
I've always had difficulty with a wrist watch--they die a quick death once they are on my wrist. When we moved to Texas I gave up on watches, and just went by the sun. The sun is a very reliable timepiece! We have clocks in our home, but once outside, it's a matter of "check the sun's position in the sky and it's around 10 a.m." However, if it weren't for the timepieces in the kitchen, we'd have either charred or raw food!
It was a nice outing, thanks. It is a nice village and where we go to get those lovely black cherries in the summer. We can see this area looking straight across the water when strolling in the park. Yeah, and I reckon you are right about that internal clock. You know the crazy thing, my Bride talked me into getting an inexpensive watch to wear gardening...so I don’t have to keep asking her the time. Wat een giller! Well, of course she is right and I was being a bit hypocritical with this time thing. Chuckle. We went back to pick up her repaired Disney watch and she pointed the new watch out. I have been looking for one for about a year, and so had no grounds for refusal. So now, will I wear it or not, that is the question, Hamlet. Ha ha ha Jane— too right. There are times for timepieces or timers. I must concede that. I shall probably wear that new watch some days, but not regularly.
Welcome, come in...good to see you. Take a seat and I’ll put the kettle on. It’s another nasty day outside so we did a few things inside. Then around tea time it was time to take a walk through a warren and see if we couldn’t fall down a rabbit hole. Today’s rabbit hole features a chap that goes to various train stations and airports to do his thing. Take a look: He doesn’t just play for young people, but one of his best vids is this one: We went the rabbit hole with this because he has made so many vids. Vids with all sorts of people, playing all sorts of music, but boogie woogie is a genre that usually comes up eventually. If you want to fall down the rabbit hole with some good, clean fun then go to youtube and the artist’s name is Brendan Kavanaugh. There are more than enough vide made by him to keep you occupied. He is a music teacher and is delightful to watch, if you are a music lover. One of his variations is to dress up as a postman, policeman, UPS worker or some other profession with a uniform that you would not immediately associate with music. It was just the thing for a rainy day.
Thanks Sj, yes the tea and bekkies were delicious. And the entertainment in your rabbit warren was great! I just love these pianos scattered about in public places. The random talent that shows up is a welcome surprise. I encountered an elderly couple playing a piano ina hospital lobby some months back. Our daughter's college had pianos in the common room of every form on campus. Disbarred by some alumna. And the were used!
We have piano’s at various stations over here as well. It is a good thing, I believe. So good that you witnessed an elderly couple playing in a hosp. lobby not long ago. Just great...this sort of thing decorates life. I am delighted that you liked this TABWS. I think I may post more of these little chats from time to time. Perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea but some folks may enjoy the chats...and who knows, others may also hold little chats on things that are interesting to them. Anyhow, thanks for your kind remarks.
