A PENSION INCREASE

"Creative" pictures are here

Pookie sleeps in her new 1 € basket, couldn't spend more !

Yesterday I found a letter from the german tax office. Getting letters from a tax office are seldom something nice. But in this case it was. Mr. Gattino got a pension raise !! He had worked in Germany beginning of the 60th for exactly 3 years and therefore has right on german pension. Now in the context of a European community you have the right to claim a pension from every European country you worked before.

After almost one year of letter exchanges and signatures and stamps, he finally got the enormous amount of € 59 pension per months from the German tax office. But one should not complain, money is money and it's better then nothing. And now the amount had increased ! How wonderful. I looked on the printed formular and saw the number 30 ! Wow, I thought 30 € that's a lot ! But then looking closer it was exactly 31 Euro cents per months of course.

In order to get this enormous amount every month he had to prove that he was still alive. There was no doubt with that, because I heard him swearing in the basement. To get this proof officially he had to fill in a 3 page long formular, sign it and then go to the Waterloo administration with passport and residence proof to get a stamp. That's what he did. Usually he would have sent me, but this was impossible because he had to show himself alive.

After having spent 1 1/2 h at the administration office, he finally was now sure that he was still breathing and very much alive and it was even officially recorded. He then put the 3 page long formular in an envelope, sent his wife (me) to the post office where I payed 0,80 cents for the stamps and could finally post it. 80 cents that's almost 3 months of pension ! And the tax office had extra expenses too and all that for 31 cents !

But in some way it is nice too. At least now one of us can pee in a public place once a months and the pension pays for it.

FRIDAY FEAST

Pookie waits for guests with her favourite aperitif

Appetizer
Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.

A doll at Christmas. It was a boy doll of course with the difference sign missing. I had never seen a boy doll and found it horrible. I cried and made such a mess that finally my parents had changed it to a girl doll. Had put a wig with long hairs on and a dress. I still have this doll. What would a psychiatrist conclude ??

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you?

Apparently I have eagle eyes. I see everything even things which don't exist. But as I am short sighted I would say 9.

Salad
Where would you rather be at this very moment?

Where I am of course, otherwise I wouldn't sit here and type answers on these questions !

Main Course
When was the last time you learned something new?

Just a few minutes ago. I learned not to open the stores with a full cup of coffee in my hand. Because the coffee swapped over.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have missed my car keys but I was sure I haven’t lost them. After a long search through the whole house, fridge, Microwave, drawers and all pockets included, I finally found them the next day hanging together with the garage keys in the garage. I don't know who put them there ! It's not its place !

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

13. Quotes a Buddah has said
(there are so many I don't know who)

1. A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.”

2. The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”

3. The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.

4. The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

6. No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

7. Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”

8. An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”

9. However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you If you do not act on upon them?”

10. The tongue like a sharp knife... Kills without drawing blood

11. To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others

12. Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

13. Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - MOTHERS

WEEKLY COMPILED NEWS

Pookie listens to the news !

The News

I don't know what happens to the royals but again there is nothing special to report except about Prince Charles. For the 60th birthday of his wife Camilla he offered her a he and a she goat ! Isn't that romantic ? Now they are certainly waiting for goat babies. The article doesn't mention any flowers or jewlery.

But now I read something else : The Duke of Edinburgh is hosting a special garden party to mark the Caravan Club's 100th anniversary. That's not true ! This old itsmetheking will make us believe that he spent a night or even several in a caravan ? I am sure the matrass was out of satin and he lay on an oriental carpet, not to forget a crown over his bed ! That's camping !

I click on next page and what do I see there ? After mad cows and birds with flu, we now have cows with blue tongues ! This time it's not dangerous for people so there would not be another animal massacre. I am relieved. Anyway I believe that this is also mostly business and not all for people health.

And then : A 16 year old boy from England had ordered a Playstation Two on E-Bay for only 120 €.To his big surprise he found 65.400 € in the box with the games console, but minus two games ! It's a pity that I don't like playstations ! and what did the too honest people do ? They alerted the police and they are now trying to trace the owner of the money ! But I am just dreaming what could I do with all this money ? Why make the poor police work ??

Now I shake my head ! An Australian rugby league player competed for more than four months with an opponent's tooth buried in his head. It didn't say if he also used it for eating.

It's amazing what all can happen ! A seagull has turned shoplifter by wandering into a shop every day and helping itself to crisps. But only Cheese Doritos. For some reason it doesn't take any others. The shopowner doesn't know what to do anymore. Poor man, I would suggest him to put the Doritos outside.

This is interesting ! Britain became separated from mainland Europe after a catastrophic flood some time before 200,000 years ago, a sonar study of the English Channel confirms. Very interesting how would that be today without the tunnel under the sea or ferry boats and just walking or biking from Ostend to Dover ?

Of course ! News for the moment without Harry Potter don't exist ! (big sigh*) Here it's written: Harry Potter fans around the world had to queue for hours, and in some cases days, to get hold of the final instalment of the wizarding saga. Again Harry Potter ! I am persecuted by him wherever I look !

Something else ! A woman in France wanted to commit suicide and jumped from a rock but she was helt by a bush and hang there for three days until police found her. She was dehydrated but otherwise OK. I suppose she has changed her mind in these 3 days !

And last but not least some art news ! In France (again) a 30 year old woman kissed a painting of the american painter Cy Twombley (??) estimated at 2 million € ! (whistle) It represented an immaculated white surface on 3 m x 2m (9x6-foot) which is now decorated with a red lipstick kiss print ! The woman apparently was so excited about this wonderful painting that she kneeled down and kissed it. She was arrested for degradation of art work (yes that's modern art, even when there is nothing on the canvas).

MANIC MONDAY - WIND

MANIC MONDAY LINK


Pookie is very proud she got Potter glasses !

HARRY POTTER AND I



I am more and more convinced that I am not in the wind anymore ! I am getting old ! Can you imagine that I never read a Harry Potter book, or watched a HP movie ?? I wouldn't even know who he is if the television wouldn't talk about him every day since the new movie came out and now even worse the new book ! Wherever I look there is Harry ! (not the prince but the Potter) In newspapers, in magazines in shops on Internet and on blogs. Harry's, with round rimmed glasses decorated face, looks at me everywhere except on public toilets so far. I just can't escape.

Friday a heavy Harry Potter wind or rather storm blew over the whole world. The new book would be on sale from midnight on ! What did I see at TV in the evening, long lines of teenagers sitting in the rain on the street and waiting to buy the new book ! Everybody wants to be the first. Apparently it's already the 7th book and they say it will be the last ! How awful !

The only thing I know about Harry Potter is that a certain Mrs. J.K. Rowling has written all the books and that more than 300 million copies of the six Harry Potter books have been sold. From a poor housewife she became a millionaire just by inventing a boy who is a witch ! I always thought witches were females but I learned ! A male witch is called a wizard. Anyway I don't know if he travels on a broom or a bicycle or maybe now that he is 18 with a car ?

How can I continue my life as an ignorant woman without Harry Potter ? I am full of inferiority complexes now, such a lack of general knowledge and education ! He even gained the Vatican's seal of approval in 2003 when an official said the books helped children "to see the difference between good and evil". That means even the pope has read the books ! I wonder if he queued up in the rain to get the new book ? At least he is more in the wind then I am.

Now I have the choice or I buy these books and read them and also watch all movies or I have to shoot myself ! That's a question of honor !

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS IN BRUSSELS

If that isn't love, after more then 40 years of marriage, the queen kisses her king's hand !




The national day parade took place yesterday afternoon and everybodey was surprised that it didn't rain ! The weather was sunny and nobody got wet as in other years.

Like France, Belgium put its parade under the sign of Europe. 28 young people carried a gigantic European flag and opened the parade. Danish, norvegian and portoguese pilotes flew the airplanes F 16 (whatever that is) and officers from the 27 member states of the EU marched by the King. It was the first time that the parade was made up under the sign of Europe because at the same time 50 years of the European Union were celebrated.

King and Queen and the whole royal family watched the parade cheerfully and apparently weren't bored at all ! After the parade, just in front of the city castle a big city party started, people dansed, children played, there was a show of country animals, like cows and pigs which is not so evident to see for city children. The youngest son of the king Prince Laurent and his wife participated at the party and mingled with the crowd. She was wearing Jeans and a blouse and it seemed that they had a lot of fun. This couple is very much liked by the Belgians, because the prince is very jovial, funny and plenty of humor. His wife Claire, not noble and half british is the same.

Claire and Laurent

At 11 pm fireworks lightened the whole country and parties were going on until early morning. As Belgium is such a small country (only 10 million inhabitants) it just was like a big family feast.