My partner's holiday is in the past again. Unbelievable how quickly those two weeks have flown by. Even now that the weather was completely shit and we were forced to stay inside much more and unfortunately we couldn't make any trips.

Dreaming of going on a holiday for years now!

Oh, how I was looking forward to the summer holidays of 2023! Since we have a car again, now about 3 years, I've been dreaming of taking that car during the summer holidays and driving our dogs to a holiday destination where we can all have a REAL holiday. But as the saying goes, "Life is what happens while you are busy with other plans." Well, that certainly applied to our holiday, which fell into the water both literally and figuratively.

Our first hurdle was the financial aspect. You know, unfortunately, money doesn't grow on trees in our backyard, so that expensive vacation just wasn't in it. As if that wasn't enough, we have three dogs who are not welcome in every place for a holiday. So, we had two options: either go somewhere where the dogs were welcome but where we would have to pay a fortune or take them to a dog hotel while we went on a holiday. But for the dog hotel, we also would have to rob a bank to make that work. Both ideas were not an option. So our suitcases did not have to be packed. It was just going to be a backyard vacation like all previous years.

Raining Cats and Dogs

And where it was really summer in the Netherlands in previous years, it was unfortunately really different this year: rain, rain and more rain. Not a single day had been dry, and the sun seemed to become something that I knew the meaning of from stories, but could no longer believe that it really existed!

Woodworking

Luckily for my partner, he had his woodworking hobby to pursue. Fortunately for him, his hobby is not dependent on the weather. This holiday he has been busy with woodcarving and Intarsia. For those unfamiliar with Intarsia. This art form is like making a kind of wooden puzzle using pieces of differently colored wood. A kind of painting, but with wood. The result can be astounding, and I was impressed by his masterpieces. It is an artisanal woodworking technique. A fun fact is that the word Intarsia comes from the Italian word "intarsiare", which means "to put in".

A short explanation! The process of intarsia starts with selecting different types of wood with different colors and shades. Each piece of wood is carefully cut (he did this with an electric jigsaw) to match the pattern of the artwork being created. The wooden parts are then put together like a puzzle and glued to a wooden background.

What makes Intarsia really special is its ability to create complex and detailed designs by using the natural colors and textures of the wood itself. Now he has smuggled a bit, normally you use all different types of wood for Intarsia, but here too you have to be creative due to a lack of budget. And so, instead of using the different types of wood as a palette, my partner made these pieces of one type of wood, and then applied the different colors with linseed oil and a little bit of paint pigment. I certainly love the results!

The history of intarsia goes back centuries where it was practiced in various cultures, including ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. In the Italian Renaissance period, intarsia reached its peak as an essential art form, especially in cities like Florence and Siena, where artisans created beautiful masterpieces that are admired to this day.

Today, intarsia is still practiced by craftsmen all over the world, and it remains a beloved technique for those who enjoy working with wood and creating unique and beautiful works of art. It is a tribute to the beauty and versatility of wood as a material and a celebration of the creative possibilities it offers.

Franciscus of Assisi

In addition to Intarsia, he also started woodcarving and sculptures. And his latest project is this carving of Saint Francis of Assisi. Huh, what who? you might ask yourself now. Ah, Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. A saint who had a special relationship with all the animals in the animal kingdom. Francis was a man devoted to simplicity and love of nature. Legends tell that he even spoke to animals. These properties were the reason for my partner to choose this as a subject for his woodcarving. My partner is also a man who appreciates simplicity more than luxury and he is also a big animal lover who respects every animal.

For me it was, The dogs and painting

While my partner enjoyed his wooden escapades, I remained trapped inside the house, caught by the constant rain, busy with my "hobby", the dogs. And granted, I also took some time to paint. I had hoped to revive my photography hobby this holiday, but the wet conditions threw a spanner in the works. All I could have captured were dripping leaves and wet dog pawprints on the floor. But then I'd rather grab a mop and towel, and not my camera.

I really need a vacation!

The lack of trips together, and the wet rainy weather have made me yearn for a real holiday even more than before. Logically? Every day felt like an endless repetition of rain and dogs that couldn't expend their energy. I may be dreaming of tropical beaches, but instead, I could organize a swim through the puddles in our backyard.

Now that the holidays are officially over, my partner went back to work this morning, there really isn't much left but to laugh at the absurdity of it all. It was a vacation that has never been a vacation. But maybe that was the lesson we had to learn: sometimes things don't go as planned, but that doesn't mean we can't make the best of it.

Be Lucky

So, while admiring my partner working wood in our garden house, and entertaining the dogs in the rain myself, I realized once again that with a little humor and a little creativity, you can turn many situations into something beautiful. Although I hope from the bottom of my heart that the next summer holiday will bring a little more sunshine and higher temperatures, and certainly a lot less rain!

And of course, the most unfair thing about this whole story ... Now that my partner is back to work, and I'm typing this blog, trying to pick up my normal routine, a miracle appears in the sky in the Netherlands.

THE SUN SHINES!

^{Pictures taken by me, Painting made by me, Woodworks made by my partner}