This is me, Leendert. I am a little bit old-fashioned and I love things from the past, old series like All Creatures Great And Small and On The Buses, mechanical wristwatches, bi-focal glasses, the old Pub Clock in the living room and vinyl records on my Garrard record player for example. I like shiny rings, bracelets and necklaces. Eccentric. You can often find me in the kitchen at parties.
She will publicly confess what she knew all along
For weeks she has been telling it to us and to others
How Jesus saved her and has grabbed her hand and leads her
And that this joy of being God’s child has overcome her
She will stand there in the center of attention
In church, surrounded by the people whom she loves
And God will keep an eye on her and us and He will smile
For this tremendous joy has overcome us that we are His
She will publicly confess she loves the Lord with all her heart
And we will be taken over by the Holy Spirit to sing His praise
So young and yet so determined to make this choice for God
If there was no proof of God’s existence than this is the first
That she will proclaim His love and sing Him glory
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
It just seems so easy
To say the words I’m sorry
But stubbornness takes over
And takes the best of me
To leave you out of my life
And out of my head
And now it looks like it’s over
So we don’t see eye to eye
When we don’t talk for days
It seriously looks like it’s over
When we don’t talk anymore
It may look really simple
To stay behind down here
While you go sleep upstairs
And I can let you go, so bye
I put my heels in the sand
And you just slam the door
Why do we fight this way
You scream and I stay silent
And what should be words
Turn slowly into songs that
Could be things that really
Ought to be said to you
And now it looks like it’s over
So we don’t see eye to eye
When we don’t talk for days
It seriously looks like it’s over
When we don’t talk anymore
Today someone said to me: “Doesn’t it worry you that people find you a little bit eccentric?” To which I replied “Am I?” And then I thought: “So what? Does it really matter?”
People come in all sorts and sizes. Some have a hump, some have a lisp, some stink. And some are quite normal, like you, or a little bit eccentric, like me. But we all enjoy the warmth of the sun in the same way. Personally I’m not bothered that people say I am eccentric, and I don’t even care that I really am. I quite enjoy my life as I live it, idiosyncrasies, odd hobbies and peculiarities included. There’s a name for that: HAPPINESS!
So if you happen to step into my life, accept me the way I am. And if you don’t: I still pour you a cup of coffee. Because that’s what I’m like.
When it is time for me to go to heaven
I will take all the time for searching
For those things I really, really want
To take with me when it’s time to go
But I won’t be needing anything there
And I will go there only with a clean heart
Since Jesus took away all my sins for good
So I won’t pack a bag or bring a lot
Yes, I will go there only with a clean heart
You can have my watch, my clothes, my stuff
Or any other thing you like to have from me
Take it, it is yours to keep for yourself
I will take my good mood however
And a sparkling bright singing voice
A strong voice just to praise the Lord
And plenty of energy for joy to eternity
I will not be taking anything else up to heaven
Since Jesus who took care of all I need
Is waiting for me there in the golden city
So I can leave everything behind down here
When I was 19 years old I went to England to live there for a few years. Ever since I returned the people I lived with there have a special place in my heart and I will never forget them.
Judi Arnold, now Judi Dale, Annette Francis, now Annette Thorpe, Liz May (where are you now Liz?), Anzio Cabrini, Simon Parsons, Nick Bowman, Elliot Stevens, Ruth Wilkinson, Anne-Louise James, Darrin Fox, Stuart Ingram, Rod and Sue Townend, Gordon and Nancy managing the Social Club, Sue May, Lawrence Swerlinck (now in Heaven, forever in our hearts, RIP), Sarah Blake (Blakey), Mark Blazeby, Joe Toehill, Tim Bryant, Norman Allen, Sue Harris, Margaret Jackson (Maggie, my ‘surrogate mother’), Stephen Eyers, Jean Ringwood, Susan May (Liz’ mother) and so many others were an important part of my life. And in case if I have forgotten your name, you too.
My rooms were in the Old Hall, an old but beautiful mansion, built in red stone with a large lawn in front of it. Here is a picture of it from around 1930 when Major Ashley lived there.
In 1998, a colleague said to me: “You have ADHD, you just don’t know it yet. You can’t sit still!”
He had been working with me for a while, he knew perfectly well how to work together with me and we had a good time, but he had absolutely no idea what he just did to me. From then on it gnawed on me, if I weren’t restless yet, making me think back on my childhood years did. He gave a name to what I always knew, but never learned to give it a name myself, let alone to cope with it.
Honey, when I say “I bring home the bacon.” I do mean I bring home the bacon, 1.5 pounds to be precise, three tins of Baked Beans, half a pound of Mushrooms, 18 eggs, 30 sausages and three loafs of white bread for toast. But it was just a little investment in a great friendship that hopefully will last for years and years to come. And boy, did we laugh today.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.