Lisa came to The Shelter to see if any stock needed replenishing. Even though the ladies could go to the shop themselves, they still kept the stock of long-life products.

In the large living rooms, the women were having coffee together.

"Good morning, ladies! Everything good here?" Lisa greeted them.

She got cheerful responses and then Ineke asked how she was doing.

"Fine in itself," Lisa replied, "although it is getting tougher. About two or three weeks to go!" She tried to put a smile on her face, which failed miserably.

Ilse jumped up: "Young lady, restocking is not something you should be doing right now! Lady's, what do you think about that? Can we handle that together for the next few weeks?"

A cheer went up. Together they were in complete agreement that they should have suggested that idea earlier.

"Tell you what," Katja suggested, "to keep in touch, you can keep coming here to make the shopping list with us, and we'll do the shopping together. We'll just cruise to the village in my car, and get what's needed. Okay?"

Lisa smiled, with tears in her eyes. "I had been thinking about this before, but couldn't let it go... thanks for the offer. But if one time it doesn't work out, do raise the alarm and we'll find another solution."

"Agreed! Tell me, how do you always organise this? Based on this list hanging in the door?" Ilse asked.

Lisa nodded: "That list follows the contents of the cupboard from top to bottom. It gives me a good overview."

Ilse nudged her with her elbow: "We are a bit alike, such lists would be just the thing for me! I'll run through that list and tell you what needs to be completed, then you can write it down. Good plan?"

"Super good plan," Lisa chuckled, "just start!" 

Befitting her nature, Ilse systematically ran through the list, checking what was left in the cupboard and listing how much of each product would need to be replenished.

"Not too bad," was her final conclusion, "shall we go out straight away?" she asked the other women.

They all stood up, and following Katja's lead, made a fist to show they were strong enough to tackle this job.

"On a different note," Ilse continued to Lisa. "I've finished setting up the website for the gallery, and everything that comes with it. Shall I drop by your place after shopping to see if we can make some nice clips?"

"If you have the puff for that later... please!" replied Lisa.

"Puff for something I enjoy so much myself? Messing around with a computer? Will do!" Ilse laughed. "You go on with whatever else you want to do, and you'll see me later!"

Lisa nodded gratefully, wished the women a pleasant time together and went back home.

.

An hour later, Ilse was at the door.

"Ha Ilse! Everything worked out?"

"Of course, everything was stocked, and the others sent me here under the promise that they would tidy up the shopping. Ilse handed back the card Lisa always used for the groceries and which she had lent to them for a while. "You keep it, we can manage for now, and if we think the cupboard needs replenishing, I'll come and borrow the pass again. Don't worry about the shopping list either, we'll make it ourselves. And if you feel like getting in touch, you know where to find us. Coffee and tea are easily made, and we love it when you come. The others urged me to say the same to you on their behalf. So here you go!"

"Wow, I really have to get used to the fact that there are also people who want to be there for me, who want me to be there and find it cosy too. Apparently, I don't feel so positive about myself yet... Do you fancy a coffee?"

"Always," Ilse laughed, "computer freaks are usually pretty coffee geeks! How beautiful you live here, beautiful house, warm furnishings, great surroundings."

"Yes hey," Lisa glowered, "almost too good to be true. The previous house I lived in was so big and fancy, but so chilly. Glad we live here!"

With three mugs of coffee, they walked to the computer that Sjaak had already started. Smiling, he took a mug and greeted Ilse.

"You get behind the PC and we'll come and sit next to you to see how you're doing."

Sjaak pulled out two more chairs, sat down next to Ilse, while Lisa plopped down on a chair on the other side.

Ilse chuckled, "Just sitting down is almost impossible, isn't it?"

"No, indeed, it is actually too heavy for me. I never noticed this with Margreet, by the way. Apparently, her muscles are stronger or something."

"Could be... our muscles have been through too much misery," Ilse winked at Lisa.

Sjaak smiled: "That's exactly what I think is causing it!"

Ilse pointed to the computer: "Sjaak, would you please indicate where I can find everything? Music recordings, photos or videos you might want to use..."

Sjaak opened Explorer and clicked to the music recordings. He opened Explorer again and clicked on nature photos there.

"So, those are beautiful! Shall we paste a bunch of photos one after the other and quietly blend them together, and put the music with them?" asked Ilse, looking at them in turn.

Sjaak nodded, and Lisa indicated that with the first music recording, she thought that would be best. "Maybe we'll also do a recording that sounds like a fountain or an eruption of a volcano or something, but for now I think nature shots are fine."

Ilse nodded, "I don't know how to make a fountain or a volcano sound like music, but you guys can figure that out!"

Each time before she took an action, she pointed and named what she was going to do. She first downloaded her Video Editor, and put the music recording in it. Together with Sjaak and Lisa, she chose photos that she put in the programme one after another, always equally spaced, until the row above the music file was completely filled with beautiful photos. Then she taught them, how to make the photos blend into each other, each time after a few seconds. It seemed so simple! When everything was ready, she saved it.

"For now, I call it 'Clip 001', which is just practical. But if you ever want to give it a different name, I would recommend putting that name after the number. Then the clips just stay in the order created. I suspect this will make it handy for you to find the clips you're looking for."

Sjaak nodded: "That seems like a good plan. Is that OK for you too, Lisa?"

Lisa was looking a bit woozy, but nodded.

"By the way, I saw all kinds of photos that I don't think are ours, is that right?" she asked Sjaak.

"True, I added that series of Koos and Olivia." And to Ilse: "That's a couple who stayed at the guesthouse and took beautiful photos that we made into a series at the guesthouse and regularly play in the living room there. I had phoned Koos about it if we could use them for our clips. He was fine with that, on one condition, that we give him the link to our YouTube channel. So I did that right away. And when we've put a few clips on it, I'll drop him another line about that."

"Nice, really nice," Lisa said, "Koos and Olivia... such a sweet couple. Remember when those teenage girls were so fond of them?"

"Oh yes, and that was totally mutual!" laughed Sjaak. "But how do we proceed, Ilse?"

"One of you can make the next clip, then I will stay next to it to give directions if needed. Who first?"

"You go," said Lisa, "I think I need to see it again."

"Fine," said Ilse, "but I'll stay with you until you both master it! So you'll soon manage it too."

Sjaak took a seat behind the computer and muttered, "First the music recording..." He took a moment to think, then slid the file from its folder in Explorer into the Video Editor.

Lisa sat silently nodding, and whispered, "I think I can see myself making the next clip."

Sjaak smiled, "You're just going to do that, girl, and if you don't know, we'll help you. Let's see, now let those pictures blend into each other... oh yes, cut like that at an angle, and the next one exactly the other way round, so they fit together. Bit of shifting... something like that, right, Ilse?"

"Exactly like that," she replied, "here at those points they slide over each other, the first one fading, the next one coming up vaguely and then getting sharper."

"Of course, that's how it works. I had actually only looked at what you were doing purely technically, but now I also understand what's behind it. That you can make something so beautiful with such a programme in such a simple way... unimaginable! I am delighted with this!"

"Me too," said Ilse, "this is a wonderful invention. And the combination of your music, which comes from so deep, with those photos taken by people who not only have an eye for it but also clearly have a heart for it... that's double power! Save it, then we'll turn to Lisa next! And after that, we'll put the first three clips on your YouTube channel! It doesn't even take much time hey, and I think you like it more than you thought you would."

Sjaak shot into laughter: "You got that right! It's fun to be involved in this, nice hobby too! I am curious to see how you will experience it, Lisa!"

They swapped places and Lisa went to work. For a while she felt insecure, but she got more and more handy and enjoyed it. "To look at it, it seemed simple, but I was afraid there would be a fat snake under the grass and I wouldn't get it done. But you should see, oh wait, just making that overflow between the pictures... really simple. Huib would say: 'Child can do the laundry, Lisa can make a clip!' And indeed, that's how it feels... save, clip 003... done! Shouldn't we watch them before putting them on YouTube?"

"That's certainly wise, but first I'd like to get behind it to show you that there's still something needed behind the scenes. After all, what you have just made, we have also saved the work programme from that. I think it would be handy to make two folders, one for the 'Clips work programmes'..." she said, making the folder, "and one for the 'Clips results' and then I'll slide the work programmes in here... so, we had already given them the same name, so that's immediately clear. The same thing we do with the final results..." Ilse slid them to the right folder. "And then we'll listen to them quietly now. Just start with the first one, right?"

She clicked it on, while Sjaak switched on the sound amplifier. As soon as it started up, Ilse clicked on the Play triangle and they enjoyed the result. The other two clips had also turned out beautifully.

"Great youngsters, this is top-notch work! I'll show you how to put them on your channel, it's so easy that I'll just do all three in succession. You'll find that on the next one in no time. YouTube will show you the way!"

Sjaak and Lisa followed her smooth actions and nodded at each other.

"Child can do the laundry, we can fill up our YouTube channel!"

Ilse looked at them smiling. "Will work out with the next recordings, right? Do you also put them on your social media soon? I'm going to head home, have a sandwich with the ladies and then see if I can do anything else for the gallery."

"Thanks Ilse, really nice that you helped us on our way!"

"I really enjoy doing this, it's the best hobby there is, for me at least..." she said with a grin and went home.

To chapter 39. The power of the clips

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