SMILEY SATURDAY - SNAIL MAIL

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I had to write a letter to an 90 year old lady who was a friend to my parents. She wrote me for Christmas and I was so surprised that she was still alive, all other friends of my parents are dead.

Now it was ages that I haven't written a snail mail. Writing was not a problem but then .... Instead of clicking on "sent" as I do with my emails, I had to put on my coat, my boots and a warm bonnet and then drive to the post office !

I had never been there it had moved and now it is located in a brand new building. 6 counters were open. That's nice I thought it will go very quick, I only had to buy one stamp for Germany. At a closer look I saw that in 3 counters nobody was sitting, in the 4th a lady enjoyed a cup of coffee and faked to be invisible. On the 5th counter was written "Express Service".

I lined up we were about 7 people. Fortunately one lady asked me if I had a ticket. I said "a ticket for what ?" the service was numbered. I pulled out a ticket and had n° 36 (?). Then I stand again in the line.
Fortunately I was in the Express service because "already" 20 min later it was finally my turn. Somebody shouted "n° 36" ! I checked my ticket and yes I had the right number. The man looked at me and asked what I wanted. I said, one stamp for Germany. He took out a folder and slowly turned the pages until he finally handed me over one stamp with our King's head on it. I noticed that now he was wearing glasses ! Really was it such a long time I hadn't bought a stamp ? I asked "how much" and he told me 90 cents ! that's almost 1 € (1.3 $ !) I couldn't believe it ! Last time I had payed maybe 30 cents not more. Sending snail mails has become a luxury and you are not even sure if the letter arrives !

Fortunately I had asked my old friend to give me her phone number because it would be cheaper to talk to her then to write and on the phone you can say much more than in a letter !

Probably in a few years it is cheaper to deliver your letters yourself !

SHOW & TELL - Cat TV

More participants are here at Kelly's

When our son visited us last time he brought us a DVD imitating an acquarium for TV screens. It is especially nice when your TV has a big screen and sits all alone dead and dark in your living room while you have guests. With this DVD it becomes a big acquarium.

We wouldn't really need it because our TV is in a special furniture and I can close the doors, but still it's fun and we wanted to watch an acquarium while we were talking.

As soon as the fishes started to swim around



cat Arthur ran over an sat down to watch the fishes ! His little head moved from left to right and right and left and he was so intrigued !


Finally he had to check it closer


and even under the TV, but when he couldn't find any he watched a little more and then walked away, very disappointed

But we had a lot of fun by observing him and I think the DVD will be more for Arthur to amuse our guests then for us to watch an acquarium !

THURSDAY THIRTEEN - Snow quotes

more participants here at New Thursday 13


As this year we had or have snow for the first time since 7 or 8 years in Belgium, here are

13 quotes about snow

1. Sex is like snow, you never know how many inches you're going to get or how long it will last !

2. Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.

3. Snow and adolescence are the only problems that disapear if you ignore them

4. When it snows, you have two choices : shovel or make snowmen

5. Kindness is like snow - it beautifies everything it covers

6. Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind

7. To live anywhere in the world today and be against equality because of race or color, is like living in Alaska and being against snow !

8. The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.

9. Don't complain about the snow on your neighbor's roof when your own doorstep is unclean

10. Genius is an African who dreams up snow

11. Money is only congealed snow

12. Before you love, learn to run through the snow leaving no footprint

13. Courtesies cannot be borrowed like snow shovels, you must have some of your own.

THE INTERVIEW

Scroll down for WW !

I told everybody that I love to read interviews but not to give one ! and now I agreed to Pamela at "The Dust will wait" ! There are only 5 questions and I thought that's not too much and women have the right to change their minds all 5 minutes.

Here are my answers to the following questions :

1) You've traveled far more than anyone else I know. If you were told you had to sell your house and move to one of the places you've visited -- which one would you choose and why?

I think I would move to England precisely to the South East coast where my friends live and where I spent each year one week of wonderful holidays. I love the coast there, the little villages, the cottage houses and the kind and friendly people ! and it wouldn't be too far from my home either.

2) You're an animal lover! What was your most precious pet ever - and do you ever find yourself playing favorites?

It depends on who just behaves very cute. The most important pet (a cat of course) was Piccola. She shared my life for 20 years. She dated with me, married with me, became a mother with me and therefore has shared all important steps in my life. She went with me everywhere, shopping or to friends, she loved riding in the car and also walked on a leash. She died more than 20 years ago, but she is still with me.



3) What do you do when your husband snores and wakes you during the night?

I moved out several years ago before I killed him ! I didn't want to spent some time in prison ! Now we are both happy, I sleep well and he can snore as loud as he wants !

4) Tell us a little bit about your driving skills?

Besides the fact that I have no orientation sense at all, always mix up left with right and am blind like a mole in the evenings, I think I am a good driver especially now that I have a GPS which helps me. I haven't made one single accident involving another car (only my wall) since I learned driving with 21 !

5) I've always wanted to ask someone who is bi-lingual: Which language dominates your thoughts,dreams, and nightmares?

That's a very difficult question because I just don't know ! I don't know if I think or dream in German or in French, certainly not in english. I only know that I think or have dreamed ! Mr. Gattino speaks when he is sleeping and he speaks in french when he dreams about collegues or friends we have here and he speaks Italian when he dreams he is in Italy. Probably I would do the same in French and German. You know sometimes when I watch TV I don't realize if I watch a German channel or a french one. Little children who grow up bi-lingual don't know either in what language they speak for them it's all the same. Camille (my son's little 2 year old godchild) for example answers in english when I talk to her in English and in French when I talk to her in French ! If you have equal knowledge of two languages I think it becomes just one.

If somebody wants to play :

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

MY WORLD

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Today I will show you another part of my world in Belgium. I went for a walk to the Gravenhof castle. It was cold but sunny and the parc is really beautiful.

Please have a look at the pictures here

FUN MONDAY - Which book ?

Odd Shots and Macro Monday are here



The Lurchers want to know what book I am reading now. What's it about? Are you enjoying it and why? If not, why not ?

And secondly, if I were to be stranded on a desert island, what one book would I take with me ?

For the moment I am reading "Im Kühlschrank brennt immer Licht" (Hilla Janssen) which means "There is always a light burning in the fridge" it's a very funny book about a young woman's life. I have read so many books in my life, that now I love to read something light, just before I fall asleep.

The second question is rather difficult, I think I would need a very big book so that it lasts quite a while until I will be rescued. So I would take "Gone with the Wind" or "The Godfather" with me and as I have read both of them already I wouldn't be disappointed when the rescue comes too quick because I know already the end.

WEEKLY WINNERS - Brussels' canal

More participants here at Sarcastic Mom Weekly winners

We had a wonderful sunny week. It was cold 0°C (32F) but nice for a little walk. I stopped at the canal which crosses Brussels and leads to Antwerp and the sea. It is mostly used for transportation of goods by ships.


The canal along the street


from far a boat


it comes closer, little seagulls are waiting


and closer


here I could see it already quite well


In the small cabine above I could see the captain


and then I thought it would be nice to live on such a boat and going through all canals to finally arrive at the sea. What a romantic life ! (of course when work comes up I would go on strike !)