HODGEPODGE OCTOBER 17

 1. How did you meet your significant other? If you don't have a significant other, tell us how you met your best friend. 

In my case that's  a rather difficult question, as all my best friends have passed away. There is just one left, she has the same age as me, we went to school together in Germany and then in Brussels, she returned to Germany and married a lawyer, I remained in Brussels and married an Italian. But we always stayed in contact and saw each other on a regularly base. Our friendship started in 1953 and still continues, and we can see each other now thanks to video calls !  

 We were 11 then

2. It's Department Store Day (October 16)...do you still shop in department stores? If not do you miss that kind of shopping experience? Do you have a favorite department store? Any fun memories of department store shopping when you were a child? 

It depends my mood. If it rains it can happen that I stroll through a department store with a friend. If I need something then I go, buy and return home. I hate boutiques where the salesman is constantly on your bottom and wants to influence you. Then I become quite unpleasant. 

In my childhood my mother took me to boutiques and dressed me like a Barbie, it always had to be a branded item so that people could see what she was doing for her daughter ! I preferred the outfits of my friend who had inherited the old clothes from her siblings.

3. Something you're currently nuts about?

Yesss ! I have bronchitis and I hate lying around here and being to weak to do anything !

4. What's your favorite nut and is there a favorite recipe where this nut is used? 

I like them all and they are part of my breakfast together with oatmeal and a Kiwi.

5. On Wednesday we officially reach the '70 days until Christmas' mark. Have you purchased any gifts? If you don't celebrate Christmas then how about Hanukkah presents? 

When Toby was 2 years old

We gave up to make Christmas gifts. Everybody has everything so we would rather spent the money for a nice restaurant, a theater, a Musical or another show. My grandson 14 prefers to buy his Christmas gifts himself, and as I am not up to date of the newest things in the computer section, he gets the money on his account and I give him a self made Christmas card. I think you have to go with the time and not regret the Christmas celebrations of your childhood.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

I raked my brain to find an appropriate Birthday gift for my grandson. Yes, I could send money but I wanted to find something special ! And suddenly I had an idea ! He will be fourteen and his dream is to become a fighter pilot.

I was horrified at this idea, and then I said to myself, maybe it's only a teenage dream, we all once had, is he really going to like it ? I  googled and found a pilot school here in Brussels, that gives an hour of flight simulation with departures and landings and fly over lots of cities around the world. This would give his parents and I an idea if the practice will disgust him or encourage him.