ON THE TRACE OF MY YOUTH - QUEEN

When I read somewhere that Gary Mullen and the Workers performed in Brussels "One Night of Queen" my friend Ilona and I litteraly "jumped" on the occasion to go to this show and see or more exactly hear Freddy Mercury again. And we weren't disappointed, the show was absolutely great.

Garry Mullen not really immitated Freddy Mercury, he sang all his songs and in a real perfect way, he also moved the same way as him, but and that made the show special, he managed to keep his own personality. And the public went mad !

We both found our youth again, Freddy was part of it he was only 3 years younger. The public was composed of three generations. Like us, the same as Freddy, our children, and their children. Ilona and I both stated with satisfaction that we belong to the first generation in history being copied in music but also in fashion by their own children. Or honnestly would you have copied the favourite music or fashion of your father or mother if you were born in the 40th or 50th ??



Of course from where we were sitting the pictures taken are not so good but gives an idea of the show

I also did this video, unfortunatley the sound is not so good, but at least it gives an idea of his voice.

SHOW & TELL

Go to Kelly for other participants.


Today I thought about showing you some wedding gifts we got not last week, but 39 years ago !
Some were very useful, some useful and some we got in double or triple exemplaries, but these once I love very much.

The first one is a Cognac bottle with a wooden shepherd and his dog inside. Don't ask me how it was put inside, but it really is. On top is Brussels symbol the "Manneken Pis" (Little man piss) as a cork.



We also got a service of 12 pieces of these beautiful oyster plates. I loved oysters very much in the past, until I had one bad one and was very sick. Since then only guests are using these plates.



I don't remember any more who offered us these special plates for snails with the holders. I wasn't used to eat snails but learned it with Mr. Gattino and also with Belgian friends. If you don't think of the disgusting look, they are very yummy with butter, garlic and french bread, cooked of course.



Usually you buy them prepared and just put them with these plates in the oven to heat them up.

FRIDAY FEAST

As the official Friday Feast website is still down Gabriel at Live from Waterloo has prepared one for us.

Appetizer - The world is coming to an end. There's no way out. You only have time to say one thing to one person you know. What would you say, and to whom?

I would say "See you later" to Mr. Gattino and the cats

Soup - Name something you're absolutely crazy about.

My new GPS, it allows me to drive when it is dark. I never could because I don't see enough ! Now I feel sure and it is great !

Salad - What's that nickname you don't want anybody to know about?

Nobody found a nickname for me that I don't want to hear. But everybody calls me Madame Chat, which means Mrs. Cat in french

Main Course - Which country would you like to visit, and why?

In Europe I would like to see more of the UK, otherwise I would love to see Mexico and follow the Incas "left overs"


Dessert - Your favourite pet peeve?

Favourite is good ! I don't have any favourite pet peeves, but I hate unpolite and stupid people !

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

13 Valentine Quotes

1. When love is not madness, it is not love

2. Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction.

3. I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.

4. Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker.

5. Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart.

6. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

7. Take away love and our earth is a tomb.

8. anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.

9. Love is the greatest refreshment in life. (Picasso)

10. What the world really needs is more love and less paper work.

11. Like I've always said, love wouldn't be blind if the braille weren't so damned much fun.

12. A kiss is the shortest distance between two.

13. Love is the history of a woman's life; it is an episode in man's.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

(Great)Grandma's Valentine

to all WW friends

COMPILED NEWS

Saudis clamp down on valentines
Prices for black market roses are reported to be rising. Religious police in Saudi Arabia are banning the sale of Valentine's Day gifts including red roses, a local newspaper has reported. Poor Allah, now in his name even offering red roses to a loved one is not allowed ! I wonder what these so religious people will invent next ?




Mexico cops offered cash to slim
Heavyweight police officers in one Mexican city will soon be offered cash bonuses of 9 $ for each kilo, if they slim down A diet of fizzy drinks, tacos and sweets is weighing down crime fighters and leaving criminals on the run. Of course running behind criminals is difficult when a big belly is in the way !




A bikini from Nicole Kidman had been sold in auction in Sweden for $ 2.500. This money will be used to buy 9 cows for Indian farmers in need. Holy Cow !!



In a little town in Germany a young man and his friend had the good idea to disguise themselves as a bank robber with a black stocking as a mask and a fake pistol and as a hostage in a bathrobe. When they got out of their car to join other people for a carneval party, suddenly to they big surprise 5 police cars arrived, policemen jumped out to arrest the "bankrobber" and free his hostage. A woman had alerted the police. I wish I could have seen the faces of these eager policemen !


Grandma Sarah Obama

The Kenyian family of Barak Obama living in Nyang'oma, a little village in Kenya complains bitterly about the invasion of journalists from the whole world. 85 year old Grandma Sarah Obama doesn't know what to do to get rid of the journalists disturbing the daily life of the village.
Poor Grandma, that happens when little grandson becomes famous !

The Palace of Justice in Bruges (Belgium) ran out of toilet paper and all employes were forced to bring their own paper roll. The reason was the invoice for the toilet paper hadn't been payed since 6 months ! No comment !

THE MAN WHO TRANSPLANTED HEARTS

MANIC MONDAY LINK



As it is Valentine's time our world is full of red and hearts wherever you look. The shop windows are decorated and the bakeries expose hearts the Belgian Pralines producer turn full speed.

But I remember a very important date and a big step for the humanity, the first heart transplantation !

Dr. Christiaan Barnard a South African cardiac surgeon, performed the world's first human heart transplant operation on 3 December 1967. The patient, Louis Washkansky, was a 55 year old grocer, suffering from diabetes and incurable heart disease and the donor heart came from a young woman, Denise Darvall, who had been killed in a December 2, 1967, road accident After securing permission from Darvall's father to use her heart, Barnard performed the transplant.Washkansky survived the operation and lived for eighteen days.

After that Barnard became an international superstar overnight and was celebrated around the world for his daring accomplishment. Barnard continued to perform heart transplants. A transplant operation was conducted on 2 January 1968, and the patient, Philip Blaiberg, survived for 19 months. Mrs Dorothy Fisher was given a new heart in 1969 and became Barnard's longest surviving patient. She lived for 24 years after the transplant.

Honnestly in 1967? I and my friends of course weren't impressed because of this first heart transplantation when you are 20 you don't think necessarily about your death or that a transplantation could safe your life, what was interesting to us was the man ! He was handsome and behaved like a film star ! Due to his widely publicized love affairs, he became known as "doctor of hearts" ! in a double sense.

We collected pictures of him and followed every step in his life. I remember his first divorce, but then I had other interests, I only know that he married and divorced 3 times. Barnard died in 2001. First it was said that he had died of a heart attack, although an autopsy showed an acute asthma attack.

I think he really earned the title "Doctor of Hearts" !


Our heart and our Valentine's heart. Which one do you prefer ??

A SPECIAL SONG (Fun Monday)

Oo shiny pen is our host this week. She asks the following :

I want to hear the ONE song that is you. The song that whenever it is heard, you smile. I am not looking for the soundtrack of your life, just that one song. Your friends hear it and think of you. You can post the video, the lyrics, the wav file. However you want to post it is great.

I raked and raked and raked my brain to find a song which is ME ! No song apparently fits on me and no song makes me smile whenever I hear it, but would not make me cry either. A little younger it would have made me dance. My friends would never think of me when they hear a song ! A cat painting or drawing yes, but not even a cat song !

Of course I have favourite songs I like to hear but none makes me think of something special. It is just a blank in my memories.

If I have no song reminding me of happy times, I very often relate a song or a music to a sad event. I cannot tell why. For example each time I hear this song "Tombe la Neige" (Falls the snow)





I remember that it was in 1963 the record had just came out and I see myself dancing with a dear friend and telling him that it was over. I only wanted to be friend with him but he wanted more than I wanted to give and that's what I told him during this song. It was very sad, more for him of course but for me too, because I lost a dear friend.

The song is interpreted by Adamo a Belgian singer of Italian origin. he was (and still is) very famous in the 60th and is part of my teenage years. Since 1993 he is a honorary UNICEF ambassador from Belgium

DO YOU WANT SOMETHING ?

Link

I don't know how you react when you are sick but I belong to the kind of people who can't stand to be sick and therefore retire in a deep hole like a hurted animal and just want to be left in peace until it is over. Even my cats have understood that and sleep without moving on my bed.

But my retreat is impossible because there is mothering Mr. Gattino ! I have noticed over the years that Italians, females or males are terrible caring caretakers, caring you almost to death with love ! Mr. Gattino is no exception although I have tried to send him to hell since 38 years when I was sick. But there is no hope.

For example when I just have fallen asleep after having caughed my soul out of my body he suddenly stands in the doorframe and asks with his soft Pavarotti voice "Did you say something ?"

When I just had recovered from this sudden wake up and want to fall asleep again, I hear : "Do you want a chicken broth "? Despite the fact that I am half dead, I feel killer instincts because chicken broth is his universal remedy even for a broken leg !

From far away I hear the phone ringing. I had told him 10 times twice, that I am not available for anybody but that I would call back. Talking makes me caugh and anyway I feel too lousy for a conversation. But who shows up holding the receiver in one hand and grinning from one ear to the other ? Mr. Gattino !! I try to scream NO I'll call back when I feel better, but I only start to caugh again like hell and can't stop but I hear him confirming in the phone : "she caughs !! I'll ask her to call you back, when she stops" ! I fall back in my pillows and regret not to have a gun in my bedside table.

I take my sirop and my pills and try to watch TV a little. Mr. Gattino asks me if I have taken my sirop and my pills and if he should switch on the TV. I just pointed with my finger on the TV. Satisfied that the TV had switched on all by itself, he asked me : "Do you need something" ?

On that I tried to shout "Leave me alone !!" making the same noise as the croaking of a raven and throw the next available pillow in his direction. He gives me a painful look : "when you are sick you are impossible, and I do everything for you ! "




PS. As you can see I feel better