Location: Another Davis, California
Date: Sunday, May 27, 2018
Rob, middle aged, and Constantia are in the kitchen in Another Davis. Rob wears his homely apron.
Rob says, "We're going to bake cookies for your birthday." Constantia: "But it's not my birthday." Rob: "I know that, but that doesn't matter."
When I looked up the origin of this performance on 6 January 2019 and found Fred Astaire and this fantastic clip, I immediately knew that I had found my…
Often when people see Robbert van den Broeke (RvdB) he is trying to pass off a rough-looking crop circle or some psychic phenomena as evidence of his paranormal abilities. Of course, those who have had up-close dealing with RvdD can attest that things aren’t quite what they seem. This article documents the behind the scenes machinations of people trying to further the career of RvdB.
It is quite a in-depth read, but before people start hailing RvdB as some sort of psychic, they need to grasp the full-story. Sadly, I doubt many of them will. The full story can be found here.
My precious children’s book “Through Heaven” – Dutch “Door De Hemel” – has been lying on the virtual bookshelf for way too long.
For people who don’t know its history, let me recap in short. It was planned as a hardcover and full-color paper book, but when two investing parties unfortunately withdrew, and I myself hadn’t the cash available to print it, it lay silently waiting and contemplating on the virtual bookshelf. That was until Daniel came along and said he could make an iTunes app out of it. And he did, and for a real good price too.
It was proudly entering through the iTunes store doors, available in Dutch and English, and people starting buying it (for only $0.99). But after a while, this unpleasant thing with Apple and iTunes started.
2011-2012, I was in the midst of my Netherlands-USA immigration and had become a permanent resident in the USA by means of my winning a green card in the USA Diversity Lottery. Meanwhile, as of March 29, 2017, I have become a US citizen. But Apple just couldn’t digest my new status, that is, my new address and move to the US, for some reason, and my app was slipping away in their incredibly rigid, rickety system.
I had to email and call them over 50 times (yes, you read that right) and had to repeat the same story for hours on end, over and over again. Different customer care people all asking me to tell the story again and again and promising they would fix it. They never did and my beautiful children’s book app was pulled by Apple from the iTunes store. I still resent Apple over this; their customer service must be the worst worldwide of all existing big companies.
So, in the spirit of Marx or Rob Nanninga or whomever favors the idea of easy accessibility (count me in), here’s the children’s book, again, for free. I did offer it for free some years ago already, and I will do that again.
If you are a publisher and interested in publishing this, I have all ready print versions available, because I did it all by myself in InDesign and then, out of it, evolved the ready for lift-off, printer version. And please note that it was already okayed by an established printer in the Netherlands, so all technical requirements are met!
THROUGH HEAVEN – Everybody Has Wings
*** Was available as iTunes app ***
“You used to live in heaven” Thus begins THROUGH HEAVEN, the first children’s book by Constantia Oomen, but a book for all ages as well. This beautifully illustrated work shows you why we travel through heaven at night, and sometimes during the day. Kids can read this book with their parents or other adults while talking about their experiences traveling through heaven.
For whom is this book intended?
Everyone has wings! You’re not alone when you travel by night or day on invisible wings through the sky. When, why and how do people travel outside their own bodies? And what can you see during a near-death experience? THROUGH HEAVEN answers these and other questions. This book is for anyone who has been there before and for anyone who wants to be well-prepared when it happens again in the future.
DOOR DE HEMEL – Iedereen Heeft Vleugels
“Vroeger woonde je in de hemel” Zo begint DOOR DE HEMEL, het eerste kinderboek van Constantia Oomen, dat ook een boek voor alle leeftijden is. De schitterende kleurenplaten en teksten in dit boek laten je zien waarom je ‘s nachts – of soms overdag – in een heel licht lichaam door de hemel reist. Je kunt dit boek ook samen met je ouders of verzorgers lezen en daarbij over jouw/jullie hemelervaringen praten.
Voor wie is dit boek bedoeld?
Iedereen heeft vleugels! Je bent niet de enige die ‘s nachts of overdag op onzichtbare vleugels door de hemel reist. Bij welke gelegenheid, waarom en hoe treden mensen uit hun lichaam? En wat kun je bijvoorbeeld zien tijdens een bijna-doodervaring? DOOR DE HEMEL geeft antwoord op deze en andere vragen. Dit boek is voor iedereen die het al eens meegemaakt heeft en voor iedereen die goed voorbereid wil zijn als het in de toekomst een keer (of vaker) gebeurt.
I can keep it short this time: “Lion Hearts“ has finally arrived. It’s part IV of my Rob Nanninga sequel. It now really feels like I’m back writing books. Who knows, time will tell.
Several recent updates considering, all about this one, upcoming blog… It seemed better to post this update separately, to tell you about another WordPress domain I started, to combine and publish all blogs about Rob Nanninga. It seemed better that way.
I have decided to publish my fourth Rob Nanninga blog, titled “Lion Hearts” on January 1, 2017. Meanwhile, you can (re)read the previous three parts here: – consider it a book in the making, and hence don’t expect it to be a “hurried encounter”.
Check back soon and have a sneak preview with a couple of photos (click on: “Read on”).
As it turns out, not one, but two new blogs will soon be published at the same time: one update about Lion Rob Nanninga and one about Jeroen and me living the Dream (in the States).
Update October 15, 2016: “So when is this Lion blog coming? And when this update blog about living in the States? You announced them in March 2016 already?” Uh yeah, that’s true.
It’s that thing about the lions blog. Maybe I should replace the word “blog” by “book in the making”. Uh oh. It keeps expanding, due to lots of photos too. I’m afraid, my verbosity is preceding me. And my hesitation continues to play out. It’s all about Rob Nanninga and cuddling plush lions and I am not a kid anymore, right? Uh, well… uh… Being an Original never was a problem to me, so I guess what’s coming next shouldn’t be any “stranger” than what I published before, though it’s not the same.
Maybe a few critics are sharpening their knives in advance, maybe even hungry to bite my head off? Think carefully before doing so, because to me, this is not a frivolous game and it never has been. But if you still want to do it, well, I can’t stop you. If you want to fight love, just give it your best shot.
My blog, “book in the making”, about Rob Nanninga and the lions is at an advanced state, maybe only a couple of days or week (or two) or so left before it’s finished. That doesn’t guarantee I will publish it as soon as it is ready. It’s not something I do lightheartedly. And I’m still not sure about it.
Meanwhile, here’s a part of my Rob (Nanninga) Lions. They all have the same name: Rob or Bor.
Up to date (October 15, 2016), I have acquired 31 34 plush lions (and counting).
I have been following the whereabouts of Dutch ‘medium’ Robbert van den Broeke since 2004-2005. In between, you could already read about it in a previous blog. After Rob Nanninga’s passing (read previous blogs), things accelerated in a rapid pace, and then something awful happened: my computer and cell phone got hacked by Robbert van den Broeke’s alleged hacker. For people who have no idea what I’m talking about: not to worry, I’ll fill you in.
After initial shock, I realized, I had to describe the nasty life and times of Robbert van den Broeke and his closest buddy, and partner in crime, Stan Pluijmen in full detail, to inform and warn other people, but even this long blog I then wrote in about a week’s time, couldn’t cover it all . Still, I gave it a good shot. Long read:
– We still live in Davis.
It turns out that our initial choice was the very best too. After checking out San Francisco and surrounding area, like Hercules and San Rafael, and visiting lots of other places, we have concluded, there’s no place like… Davis. It’s safe and peaceful, we have enough living space with three bedrooms, 1.5 bathroom, a large kitchen, very large living room and garden, there is beautiful nature, mountains in the near distance, lots of space for me to bike on a flat subsurface, an Army of Love in our garden with a steady growing amount of birds and a small army of Squirrels.
* I will continue to update this list when I have more names of loyal birdie visitors.
In Davis, additional: Turkey Vulture
Regular busy birdie day in our backyard (iPad photo), Mourning Dove in bird feeding trough and next to itRegular squirrel day in our backyard (iPad photos)Junco in our backyardHummingbird in our backyard and on our Hummingbird swing
Anna’s Hummingbird in our front yardRed-shafted Northern Flicker in our Silk OakSquirrel in our backyardDetail of squirrel in our backyard (all photos by me)
Davis is a perfect starting point for trips to San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles, San Diego etc.. We have all the stores we need here in a very close proximity and at our doorstep: Trader Joe’s, Co-Op, Wholefood, Grocery Bargain Market, Nugget Market, Costco… and a lot more. Furthermore, UC Davis is all around us: an intelligent, vivid sphere to live in, with fantastic annual events like UC Davis Picnic Day (check out my clips of that on my YT Channel).
– We visited San Diego in the Summer of 2013, and I have to admit that San Diego maybe is even more beautiful than Northern California. We discovered a lot of new birds out there, like the Great Horned Owl. This fantastic bird has filled me with a desire to live there too. So let’s keep that in mind!
– Jeroen has an even better job now, as Programmer V. Before that, he was a Programmer II and he just leaped forward with three steps at a time. In his free time, he has become a real computer game boss, always eager to explore new ways to shape his programming skills.
– I have stopped working at the German Language School in Sacramento.
– We bought a Glock 19 mm, and have practiced thoroughly at the Gun Range in Sacramento. We both like shooting! Did you know all the Glocks, whatever the size, are the same price? At this time: $499 (without tax).
Constantia with her Glock 19
– We have bought an Open Wheeler game seat, because we love to race indoors. My favorite race program is called: Test Drive Unlimited, I really love to race (virtually) on Hawaii and Ibiza in a Bugatti Veyron. That has become my favorite car too. Maybe own one one day?
– Speaking of Hawaii, we definitely want to go there as soon as time will allow it. Another travel plan consists of the direct California Zephyr train trip from Davis to Chicago (and maybe return by air plane).
– My eye sight continues to get worse (thanks, dad , love you anyway), and I have far worse eyes than any of the other family members including dad Joris: left: -9.25, +2, right: -7.75, +2
– After a very late start (getting my driver’s license in 2009), I am a pretty good driver now and it’s one of my new favorite things to do. I have a lot of catching up to do, here in beautiful America. Everything I missed doing in The Netherlands, I do here in California. Another example is the bath tub: we didn’t have one in Scheveningen, and we do have one here. So for a long time, I often was taking two bath tubs treats on one day. Now, I go in the bath tub once a day, almost always with Epsom Salt, taking facial very aromatic masks etc.. I simply can’t get enough of the bath tub.
– After quite some years not reading that many books (though listening to audiobooks), I have picked up reading, and read a lot now. Always with my contact lenses removed, because of my troublesome multifocal sight, I can’t read with lenses, even when they are multifocal. Without my contact lensens, I have to hold the book really close to my eyes, or wear my old pair of glasses, which still works pretty good.
Since discovering Nelson DeMille, I find it disappointing to read other authors like James Patterson and Mary Higgings Clark, but I do okay Karen Rose (she can write nerve wracking). Nelson DeMille is a great teacher for me, and I absolutely love his wit and very keen, intelligent humor and observations. I ony avoid his latest book “The Quest” that turns out to be a reprint of a much older book of his, but then with more sex in it; it has very bad reviews, and I don’t want or need my very high opinion of Nelson destroyed by one possible misstep. I can only thank him for fueling the sacred reading light with new oil.
My reading location is foremost: the bath tub.
Nelson DeMille’s books and audiobooks (iPad photo)
– The weather in Northern California is ab-so-lute-ly amazing. Every day is a sunny day, with endless blue skies. First, I had to get used to that every-day-is-a-holiday feeling because of the sun here. Now we are used to it, and when there are a couple of clouds, we consider it ‘bad weather’ and stay inside. Yes, you get spoiled very fast.
– I laugh up my sleeve diabolically (yes, I know I’m bad) when acknowledging some Dutch stuff, like the terrible weather, the terrible incestuous bad TV shows, the problem with ‘bontkraagjes’ (though that object itself isn’t funny at all), or the fact that they consider an Euro Jackpot of 10 million to be large. (we have a Mega Millions Jackpot today (December 17) of $636 million) .
Everything seems so small now in The Netherlands. Of course, we have some good memories there, but we are very happy to be future USA citizens (we plan to become US citizens in 2016, and I will vote for Hillary Clinton then).
I do have to admit, I reclaimed some European food stuff, like Bertolli pasta sauce, things they don’t make that well here in the US. Once in a while, I order something at the Dutch Store in Michigan. Why not have the best of both worlds, huh? But the US has a lot to offer for us vegans, like a very good range of vegan pizzas and marshmallows.
A little late (but better late than never) I discovered Trader Joe’s, and they have the good bread here (without the unhealthy long list of ingredients of average US bread), containing no sugar or high fructose corn syrup (this is an ingredient I have learned to avoid). Much like the great German bread in fact. Trader Joe’s is truly a perfect store with good prices for very good and pure food.
At Trader Joe’s they have American ánd European food of high quality and good price – Belgian Endive
– I have truly discovered e-Bay and Amazon (and more of course), and order a lot of necessities and not-necessities online; only food I buy in our direct surrounding area, but even some food products I buy online. Stuff from all over the United States of America is shipped to our J Street in Davis.
– Yes, I still have frequent out-of-body experiences (and related experiences), and lately, all the more. I am very thankful for that, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
– In January 2014, Jeroen and I will be been married for 9 years already and even years longer than that together.
Jeroen and me, me reading the iPad book and he controlling the computer game – iPad photo by reversing camera (and with help of mirror)
– I have biked a lot, it keeps me in an overall good shape, both physically and mentally. More than 12242 km (7606 miles) since February 17, 2011.
– Emigrating was a little easier for Jeroen than it was for me; of course, he’s younger and I think age is of importance (let’s be real). In retrospect, I can see that I was a little more fearful than he was, but it turned out that the fear was unnecessary. I felt a little bit of the outsider the first year in Davis. Jeroen quickly found his way around; I took a little longer to drive without the TomTom and feel assured to do so. That kind of stuff.
Everything is different here, and people are different. There is a lot more reason to smile here, and so people do, and I had to refind my lighter self, but I think I am getting there real fine.
Furthermore, there was some adjusting for me to do regarding the very warm nights in the Summer and some chilly nights in the Winter (we have a wooden house here, with a different heating system than in The Netherlands), but I have adjusted to that with a great – made in Texas – bed fan in the Summer, and a ‘new’ body that adjusted to Californian standards. Actually, the Summer of 2013 wasn’t nearly as hot as the Summer of 2012, and the bed fan wasn’t needed that desperately. Jeroen didn’t have a problem with Californian temperatures, not even with the hot nights.
There were some challenges concerning cockroaches in our backyard in the Summer, but that ‘problem’ too, I have addressed. You just have to keep your garden very clean and remove bird and squirrel food every evening very conscientiously. It wasn’t difficult, we just had to learn.
Summarized, immigrating does require flexibility, but if you have that, it is very rewarding and an immense boost for your body, brain and spirit (assuming you have made the right choice like we did, choosing the country and State that’s right for you).
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Constantia Oomen 