SMILEY SATURDAY - Oiling a spider net ?

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If you have a retired partner in your way around you probably know that his "To Do" list is very long and there is mostly no time for the little things you may ask.

Our garage door's ressort is rusty. Although he sees it every day he must think that a ressort is always rusty and that it is it's normal color. So I had to draw his attention to the fact that the ressort is rusty and needs a cleaning up and some oil to protect it otherwise it could break and he could get the garage door on his head.

This fact probably convinced him to add this task to his empty To Do List, and armed with an an oil spray but not an anti rust product, he attacked the ressort. Unfortunately a poor spider had spun a wonderful net between the resort and the wall which Mr. Gattino also oiled thoroughly. I don't know if the spider was happy about it, because since then it's laying motionless on the floor.

I told Mr. Gattino that it really wasn't necessary (but very kind of him) to also have taken care of the spider net but instead of oiling it, it would have been easier to take it away. When I wanted to take a picture of an oiled spider net because such an event doesn't happen every day, he had destroyed it ! But moving the spider corpse away was not on his To Do List and the ressort still looks quite rusty !



I think I have to file a complaint.

SHOW & TELL

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This basket sits just in the entrance in front of my cat collection. I use it for seasonal decorations. In automn it was filled with pumpkins and for Christmas of course with Christmas stuff. Since then it was empty because I hibernated.

Now the first signs of spring are showing up and suddenly I wanted to do a spring decoration.



and this was the result. The flowers are all fake of course otherwise I would have to do it each week. But it looks very welcoming.





During the week I went with my friend to a junk market because she needed a table. She didn't find a table but we both found this cute paper holder, one for her, one for me, I just couldn't resist ! Now it sits in the living room.

I think hibernating is much cheaper !

THURSDAY THIRTEEN - Spring

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13 Signs of spring

1. The litterbox in the garage is less dirty

2. Cat Arthur started to check the neighbor gardens to see if somebody is working. He loves to help

3. I suddenly feel as if I have nothing to wear

4. I looked for shoes and trousers, eventually new jeans

5. The cashier girl who never talks and treats you as non existing, informs me suddenly that finally spring is coming and I can hear that she has a voice !

6. Dogs escape their homes and run free following their spring feelings

7. People are running around and ask where their dogs are

8. A magpie puts every day a little branch in my neighbor's stuck. I have to inform her.

9. Motor saws are singing all around

10. Women wash their curtains

11. Men wash their cars or let it wash

12. Garden shops are crowded as if everything was free

13. The air has a special smell

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Spring ?


The artist !

MY WORLD - Waterloo city center

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My world was rather grey and dull yesterday. On Mondays most of the little shops are closed in Waterloo, because they were open on saturdays. Employees have the right of a weekend and when they have to work on saturdays they recuperate on mondays. Except of course for big shops and Shopping centers.


Our city hall was sitting there freezing under a grey sky


No people around


The entrance of the "New Gallery"







Where the boutiques were also closed of course


The look of the old movie theatre hasn't changed much from outside, but inside it is very modern

One forlone person on the main street in front of the "Wellington Gallery" which exists already for quite a long time.

FUN MONDAY - Children Quotes

Our this week's host Mariposa says that kids say the darnedest things!

When our son was little I kept a book with all the funny things he said when he was 2 or 3, but I just can't find it. But I always remember when he was about 3 years old and in a supermarket saw a black man for the first time in his life. Of course he stared at him and then ask me in his loud squeaky voice : Mamma why is this man all black ? By the time I tried to find an intelligent answer he had run over to the man and then shouted all over the place : Mamma ! I know now, he was born like that, he has told me !!

People all around were laughing I included and I found this answer very clever !

I also found some funny quotes of German kids on a German website and translated them for you. They really made me laugh, because they are very logical in some way !

- My mom has to eat grass otherwise she doesn't have any milk for my little brother

- When I fart, my botty yawns

My mom has a baby in her belly, but I don't know how she swallowed it.

- Daddies scatters seeds and Mommies lay an egg, that way babies are made

- I don't have my grandma anymore they have planted her in a graveyard

- I have curls, dad has curls, mom has only hairs

WEEKLY WINNERS - Carnival - The Gilles

More participants here at Sarcastic Mom Weekly winners

Last week I showed you the Baloon Parade in Brussels. But I didn't show you the famous Gilles of the Carnival of Binche in Belgium who also participated in the parade.

The Gilles are the oldest and principal participants in the carnival and the proud of Belgium.
There are around 1000 Gilles, all male, some as young as 3 years old. All wear the traditional costume of the Gille.

They go out on Shrove Tuesday from 4AM until late hours and dance to traditional songs. (and drink )

In 2003, the Carnival of Binche was proclaimed one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The suit they wear is stuffed with straw, giving the Gille a hunched back and they also wear wooden clogs and have bells attached to their belt.

During the afternoon parade (while usually blood oranges are thrown to the crowd), the oldest Gilles wear these big hat made out of ostrich feathers. As it wasn't carnival anymore they didn't throw the oranges (fortunately)


They all gathered in front of a Café to have a few beers


before they put up their enormous hats.


It looks quite impressive !




Then they step and stamp with their feet to a quite monotone music



If you are interested in the whole history of the Gilles go here. The tradition goes back to 1549.