Hi friends and other creatures!
I just started to write this post, when I thought about what this project must have been like from the point of view of Joost. You probably remember him: my long-suffering boyfriend.
I'm guessing it must have been something like this..
"You know.." I looked up from my computer to see Marije looking at me. Before continuing her sentence she smiled with what she probably thought to be an innocent smile, but what actually looked like the expression of a gnome brooding on an exceptionally bad idea.
I sighed, putting my pleasant thoughts about work, sports and computer games aside, because in my three years experience of dating Marije, I know that whenever she says "you know.." in that way, my peace of mind flies straight out the window.
And there came the rest of the sentence: "I'd like to have a pond!"
Of course, I should have known better: ever since Marije developped an unhealthy addiction to a BBC tv show called 'Gardeners world', Marije had been frantically digging in our garden, moving plants and bits of grass around, and planting every thing that vaguely resembled plant-life. But a pond, really?
" I don't think I like that" I tried.
"You dug a pond that last year, and it was shitty" I tried.
"We have quite litterally finished an enormous renovation in the bathroom 10 minutes ago" I tried.
But Marije didn't listen, having refocussed on what that blasted tv-show said about installing a pond in your garden, and googling every picture of ponds that the world could offer her.
"The chickens would drown in it" I tried as a very last resort ( because, in fact two of our chickens had drowned in the neighbours pond over the last months, and I knew Marije -rightly- felt quite guilty about it.) She did indeed look a bit guilty, remembering the fate of our beloved chickens 'Omelet' and 'Nugget'. But it wasn't enough: she should absolutely, most definitely wanted to make a pond.
And so, while I reevaluted my life-choices and thought about the possible benefits of having a post-order bride instead of strong-headed Dutch girls, it happened that Marije grabbed her spade, went into to yard, and started to dig a pond.
