Copy that

When you write a lot, you have a lot of documents. With good courage, you save those files systematically on your computer so that you will be able to find everything quickly. Until one day you just don't have enough time and you think... 

Does he or doesn't he...?

In my twenties I often went scuba diving. One of my regular buddies was a train driver by profession. During one of our dives I asked him if anyone had ever jumped in front of his train. His fierce response took me by surprise.

Finding what's not lost

Every year we kept the cork of the champagne bottle. Brings luck, they said. The bottle was neatly uncorked just before New Year's Eve, exactly as it should be. Gently. With a sigh. No bang. Glasses filled. You know, those special, high flutes. It turns out not to be a good choice at all, you should use those wide glasses, but that shouldn't spoil the fun.

Flutes filled. Counted down to New Year's and toasted. Afterwards, the cork was kept in one of the glasses and put in the cupboard. Then forgotten. Of course...

Did it actually bring luck? Doubtful. But after years we had a large collection of corks. Some turned black, others with slight mold formation. Typically one of those things that you find without actually losing them, while you can never find other things that you are looking for.

I'm curious to see what else I will "find" this year.

For real

Even my non fiction includes dead bodies... dead fish to be precise. Today a new article, which includes two new genera and five new species, and which I worked on with Jean Huber (Paris, France) since 2019, is officially published:

The Unf

The Unf. Strange word? Maybe, but then again, it is incomplete. Literally and figuratively. Literally, it should read "Unfinished." Figuratively, it refers to all the never-completed works of artists...

Cutting the tree

For the second year in a row, our four Ragdoll cats made us decide not to put up a Christmas tree. Instead we bought some Christmas Roses (Hellebores) for our garden. We did cut a tree though... 

Riptide

A rising tide lifts all boats. Motto of the facebook group 20Booksto50K. Every year 20Books organizes conferences where writers come together to network and learn from fellow Indies how to become an authorpreneur. This year also in The Netherlands. Rotterdam to be precise. A one-day symposium organized by the undersigned for which I gladly picked up my old profession, conference organizer.