10 Jan 2009

SMILEY SATURDAY - Retirement occupations

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Since Mr. Gattino is retired he has discovered a lot of new things to keep him busy. For example the letter box, now it's him who takes in the mail and then he complains bitterly that besides useless advertisings, there are only bills and from time to time a postcard. Poor man ! I know that the same bills arrived since 40 years.

He also has discovered that light has to be switched off in order to keep the electricity bill reasonable. So what he is doing now he checks behind me if I have left a light on and then he is totally happy when he discovers that I forgot to switch off the light in the bathroom. So as a loving wife I entertain him by switching off the light when he is in there pretending that I thought I had forgotten it. This is good for his blood pressure.

Never had he looked at phone bills. Now he does it, not for the amount of the bill, but for the length of the conversations ! Then he would say "You talked for 6 and a half hours with Ilona (the bill arrives all two months) and you see her at least 3 times a week, what the heck are you talking about ? " I only know that it must have been very important otherwise we wouldn't have talked that long.

The worst is his occupation with the cats ! Each time a cat crosses his way or sits in front of him peacefully washing her face, he thinks that she is hungry hurries in the kitchen to feed the poor thing. The poor thing to be polite, sniffs a little at the food, turns around and tail up disappears in another direction. "Do you think she is sick ?" he worries. Since he is retired all our cats became more "round" !

When I think that I married a man who didn't care about electricity, mail, bills, feeding cats, and wondering about the length of telephone conversations, I think retirement changes men !

9 Jan 2009

SHOW & TELL - Changing color lamp

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As you probably know I am always complaining about the grey and rainy weather here in Belgium. This week when I went to a decoration shop, just to look a little around whithout intention to buy something I discovered this lamp !







It is in plastic and you can drop it or play football (soccer) with it if you want. It's easy to place wherever you wish and it works with 3 small batteries. I tried to take a picture of all lights but missed the yellow. It changes slowly, slowly and is so pleasant to look at because the colors are like a rainbow and not as strong as in the pictures.

Apparently it's good for your mood looking at changing pastel lights instead out of the window in a grey sky. Even Mr. Gattino liked it. But he wasn't happy with my little lamps he needed a big one which works with electricity and is a real lamp with the same effects.



Now it stands on the TV set and while watching TV the lamp changes colors.



I put a small one on the little table in my room



and one on the shelf over my bed.

With this equipment I should be always in a very good mood !

8 Jan 2009

THURSDAY THIRTEEN - Definition of resolution



A lot of you are talking about New Year's resolution. Before I started blogging I had never heard of it and lived 65 years without making New Year's resolutions and I am still here. How is that possible ?

Before starting, I wanted to know the exact meaning of "resolution" and looked in my dictionary. I found following resolutions (please don't fall asleep)

13 definitions of "resolution"

1. resolving of something: the process of resolving something
the resolution of a difficulty. Ok I'll try to find something

2. joint formal expression of opinion, arrived at after discussion and usually as the result of a vote. I don't vote and have my own opinions

3. decision: a firm decision to do something OK that's what I always do it only depends what !

4. determination: firmness of mind or purpose. I think I can be very determinated especially when I want something !

5. electronic engineering reproduction of detail in an image: the level of reproduction of detail offered by a TV or computer screen or a film image ??? I only watch the movie

6. solution: an answer to a problem . OK, I try to find a problem, I promise

7. physics chemistry separation into constituent parts: the process or act of separating something such as a chemical compound or a source of light into its constituent parts ??????
I slept during these lessons at school

8. medicine subsiding: the disappearance or coming to an end of symptom or condition such as fever or inflammation. I got it ! I take some medication.

9. music satisfactory conclusion of a harmonic pattern: the movement from a dissonant to a consonant chord or note. Oh no, I am not musical at all !

10. music final note in a harmonic progression: the note or chord to which the harmony moves when progressing from dissonance to consonance. It becomes complicated !

11. theater part of a story when conflict is resolved: the point in a dramatic work when the conflict is resolved. That's something for me, I love theatre and according to Mr. Gattino I always make some too

12. physics See resolving power. OK I see

13. poetry syllable replacement: the substitution of a long syllable for two short ones in the rhythm of a line of poetry. I don't need this either, I don't do poetry

Now I can say that I have done my first and last New Year's resolutions !

Concerning Thursday Thirteen, as there is no official page anymore, and I post always early, you can put your link here in Mr. Linky and tell the others to come to my blog if they wish, for other participants.

I just heard that Alice Audrey put up a list with people who want to continue. Go to her blog.

6 Jan 2009

MY WORLD - Snow after 7 years !



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My world this morning was white ! For the first time in almost 7 years it really snowed in Brussels/Waterloo ! and it is still snowing already the whole day. Now a lot of you have seen much more snow than what I show here, but for us it is very unusual.



It was still dark when I opened the stores and saw this, our car covered with snow and my neighbor's house too !



to my big surprise I can see the snow flakes on the picture !



I don't know what this little round ball is, certainly not the moon because the sky is all covered up.





Our entrance suddenly looked so romantic !





Mr. Gattino had to clean the car first before leaving



I took these pictures out of my front window





I tried to draw a cat in the snow





our garden



This beautiful tree stands in our neighbor's garden



and of my 5 cats only Arthur enjoyed the snow and was playing in it, the others prefered to stay inside !

5 Jan 2009

FUN MONDAY - Unthinkable thoughts

Odd Shots and Macro Monday are here



This week's host is Faye at Summit Musings.

The Assignment:
What's on your mind as we close out 2008 and begin 2009? Large and small. What are often your first thoughts the minute you wake up? When you're alone and unguarded? Working? Stuck in traffic? Playing with the children? Walking the dogs? When you can't sleep?"

To the first question I can only answer that I don't have anything in mind for 2009, I will just continue like the years before since I am retired ! Teenagers usually have boys or girls in their minds, then school or study problems, later comes work, children etc. For me ? Nothing special except to think what can I do next to amuse myself.

When I switch on the light in the morning there are usually 2 to 4 fury reminders sitting in my room with the word "breakfast" hanging in the air.


(get the picture)

My first thought therefore is : Feed the cats. When I am alone, I am usually busy at my computer, or driving, or taking pictures with one simple thought : Can I use this and that in my blogs ?

So far I am always unguarded I am not a VIP.

When I am stuck in the traffic I listen to the radio or watch people also stuck in their cars and who sometimes are looking in their noses what they can find there or do other funny things.

When I play with children I play and have no time to think ! I don't have a dog and my 4 cats don't need to be walked, they walk themselves alone.

And to the last question : Before I fall asleep I think about what I could write for the next day. For example this text I was pondering while I waited to fall asleep last night.

Yes, and I forgot one thing of which I think mostly in the morning when I don't forget : What do we eat tonight ?

4 Jan 2009

WEEKLY WINNERS - Enough of Christmas Decoration


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I enjoy very much the time before Christmas and do quite a lot of decoration. But when Christmas and New Year is over, suddenly I can't stand anymore to see all these things, for me a new year has started and I wanted to put the whole stuff away !



That's what I did, I put everything on the dining table






and put angels and Santas in bags and cartons.

When our son was little we had to wait until after the 6th of January because of the 3 kings who had to arrive and give the presents to baby Jesus. Mr. Gattino stucks to this tradition but this year I tried to find a solution to not offend him and still be able to put the Christmas stuff away.



I put the 3 kings on a Ferrari, driven by Michael Schumacher so they arrived already on Jan 2nd !



and could give their presents. Mr. Gattino was happy and so was I because now



our Living room looks "new" again for 2009 !