FIRST HALLOWEEN IN BRUSSELS

More participants here

When I started blogging two 2 1/2 years ago, I saw for the first time Halloween pictures and could read how people, especially Americans celebrate Halloween. I started to celebrate it too, but only on my blog and a little decoration in my house.

This year for the first time in my life I celebrated Halloween, or rather I assisted to some celebrations. When my son was little it didn't exist, but since 4 or 5 years it comes slowly up also in Brussels.

There was a Halloween party under the Atomium. For those who don't know, the Atomium is for Brussels like the Statue of Liberty in New York or the Eiffel tower in Paris. A reason for me to "run" there, armed with my camera.



I saw a lot of devils and witches

cute little pumpkins

and also for the first time in my life a pumpkin carving ! What a fun for the kids ! I really regretted that I couldn't participate I had no child or grandchild at my disposal !

But I had a lot of fun together with my friend and when we had seen enough we had a hot tea and a Brussels' speciality, I forgot the name, but it was caramelized apple cake with Vanilla ice cream !

And to end my first Halloween day in real 9 little devils, pumpkins and witches rang at my door and asked for treats ! That too was an event as I live now 33 years in this house !! Of course I had bought sweets and chocolate just in case ....

I am always open to follow nice customs of other countries !

SHOW AND TELL - Yearly Painting Exposition

More participants are here at Kelly's

Last weekend my painting group had its yearly exposition. The flower arrangements I made for that I showed already here last week.




A picture of the group which was published in the "Waterloo News"



The "comment" book where people were invited to leave their comments




At the entrance were these masks one of my group had made for Halloween. It gave a special joyful touch to the exposition.





and that's how the room looked like before people were arriving !



my teacher puts some pralines on the plate



and then they came ....



posing for somebody together with my teacher



Here is my oldest class mate. She is 94 (!), together with her daughter, granddaughter and grandgrand daughters.



The big Mannitou of the city was in a very good mood (left)



Holding a speach



my friend Ilona (the proof that even with 65 you still can look good, without artificial means ! )





My men and I

We had a lot of visitors and also a lot of fun. It is not so important for us to sell a painting, but more to show what we have done during the year and also the fun we had by doing it.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

There are many kinds of blogs. Here are 13 examples

1. The sober once, just a very simple Blogger template nothing else and nothing in the sidebar

2. The very religious once mostly in black with crosses, Jesus, (or Jesusses) saints and bible citations.

3. The military blogs with camouflage pattern background, machine guns, flags and uniforms and as "music" gun shots !!

4. The racist once (mostly in black too) with flags, pictures of ugly and hateful looking arabs, often also Bin Laden and as saviour Mr. Bush and now Mr. McCain.

5. Political blogs decorated with political photos, quotes and the head of the favourite candidate

5. Cute blogs with dolls, flowers, and pets

6. Romantic blogs all in pink, with laces and little daisies

7. Blogs with a little flower wall paper, so that you feel like home in your bedroom

8. Dog lover blogs, with little or big dogs all over

9. Cat lover blogs, the same but with cats

10. Photo blogs, a simple dark background and a lot of pictures

11. Recepe blogs, usually very simple too

12. Mom blogs, full of baby and breastfeeding pictures always in pastel colors

13. The green thumb blogs. Where you can find yourself in a jungle !

your blog outfit depends on knowledges in webdesign.

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Dress Sahra Palin - left : for her campain 40.000 € - right : for the victory 80.000 € - below : for Irak 100.000 €

From Belgian cartoonist "Kroll"

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

My cats in Halloween mood !

COMPILED NEWS

Ruby Red is here




Man's arm trapped in train toilet

TGV toilets are equipped with a powerful suction system. A passenger on a French train had to be rescued by firemen after having his arm sucked down the on-board toilet.
The 26-year-old victim was trapped when he tried to fish out his mobile phone, which had fallen into the toilet bowl, and fell foul of the suction system. I hope for him that he could get up his trousers in time !




Sarkozy needled by 'voodoo doll'
A representative from the company that made the doll responds.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to sue a publishing company if it does not withdraw from shops a "voodoo doll" in his image. The doll comes with pins and a manual with instructions on how to put the evil eye on the president. What a great idea for the Americans, I think they haven't done that yet with Sarah Palin ! What a doll ! She would be ideal for that !



Snake on menu for Halloween
A RESTAURANT has been branded “sick” for serving SNAKE curry.
Python in a coconut sauce is being offered for £9.95 all week as a Halloween promotion.
But animal welfare groups condemned the stunt, claiming snakes killed for human consumption are “conscious for an hour after they are crudely decapitated”. How nice ! what a thrill having a headless snake running in your stomac !



Sex drug will work faster
SCIENTISTS have made a “son of Viagra” pill that works extra-fast.
It takes effect in just 15 minutes instead of 30 — and wears off after an hour and a half, rather than eight hours. I wonder if it is delivered with a watch ?



Queen's "No" to a gift horse
THE Queen looked a gift horse in the mouth yesterday.
She was presented with a white Lipizzaner stallion on her visit to Slovenia, but decided not to take it home with her. She said it would be “more humane” for 16-year-old Kanizo to stay on his stud farm. She is such a nice lady .... she prefers younger horses

Guiness World Records book 2009
The 54th edition of the Guinness World Records book has been released. In the 2009 version we can find a few interesting world records such as:

The World’s Oldest Bridesmaid (105 years old)
The Most Expensive Ice-cream Sundae (£12,000)
The World’s Longest Dog, with a nose to tail length of 2m 32cm (7.61 feet)
Oldest living person (114 years and 115 days - Edna Parker, US)
Largest underwater press conference (61 journalists)
Most rotations hanging from a power drill (141)
Worlds fastest talker (655 words per minute)
Fastest suitcase escape (7.04 seconds) No comment

FUN MONDAY - ABOUT HALLOWEEN

Our host for this week Sayre gave us this assignment :

Tell us about your favorite Halloween as a kid (pictures, if you have them!), and show us your costume for this year. If you're not dressing up, show us a picture of a pumpkin carving that really tickled your fancy or how you decorated your house.

more participants here at Sayre

I had to modify this assignment a little because :

I have never celebrated Halloween until I started blogging in 2006 ! When my son was little nobody did it and I think I hadn't even heard of it.

When I saw all these wonderful costumes and decorations full of phantasy and creativity on especially American blogs, I started to look around and noticed that Halloween had started in Belgium too !

My town Waterloo since a few years organizes a Halloween party for the children in the city park and all the American citizens living in Waterloo started to show to the Waterloo people how to celebrate Halloween.

There is a pumpkin competition, a witch danse and a lot more. So now each year I go there to have a look and take some pictures. The real party starts when it gets dark but in the afternoon there are also activities and for photography daylight is of course better.




The Waterloo city parc, people start arriving



Isn't that an adorable little pumpkin ?

Rehearsal for the witch dance






Dad watches






not really a witch !



Visit on the graveyard, how sad !



A dragon too is invited




A brave dad shows how it works !



Two witches together ? Not a good sign !






A Halloween butterfly



and a little devil !



another pumpkin