A NIGHTMARE

Years ago I had a lot of nightmares, but in the last years not at all anymore. I probably dream, but I remember nothing when I wake up.

During my holidays in Egypt I don't know why, I dreamed a lot, completely crazy things with people I hadn't seen for 40 years or more, but could never put my dreams together. Until one night when I had a dream (not like a certain person)

I was looking out of a window into the desert where I saw two men standing besides a body laying in the sand.

I tried to see who it was (I wear no glasses when I dream, I think) and saw that it was my son ! I wanted to run out of the place which wasn't a house but my legs didn't move. I tried and tried while the two men lifted up my son's body and carried him a little farer through dried out, dusty grey looking bushes and layed him down. Then they digged a hole and burried him.

I wanted to scream, but there was no sound, I finally arrived at the place where he was and what did I see ? just one toe sticking out of the sand. The men were gone. It was a horrible feeling ! I woke up, sat in my bed, felt completely confused, then I ran to the window door opened it and stood on the terrace trying to calm down.

The first joggers saw a completely madwoman standing there with all hairs up breathing deeply. Then I thought it was only a dream, made my coffee and had the first cup in a beautiful sunshine under a blue sky.

But this dream followed me the whole day and finally I called my son, asking him if everything was OK.

Yes, he said, why ?

I told him my dream

Ah, he said : was it the left or the right toe ?

The first second I was startled, then stupidly I answered : I don't remember !

and then we both laughed ! My nightmare was over.

SHOW & TELL - My Christmas Decoration

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This week it was very easy to find something at least to show ! I finally attacked the yearly Christmas decoration. This year I rather sulked the Christmas fathers, I am in an angel period !

After a couple of hours under the watchful eyes of cat Rosie it was finally accomplished !



When you enter our living room you have this view. The advent wreath which is not a wreath but has the 4 obligatory candles to light one each sunday before Christmas.



and to the left



more detailed collage of what is on the table



the TV corner



Our (mini) Christmas tree. We used to have a big one from floor to ceiling, but as we not celebrate in our home since a few years, the little one is enough.



the dining table and corner, and Rosie sitting in the mess before I started

THURSDAY THIRTEEN - Christmas Harmony

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On Christmas usually families get together and therefore Ma and Pa are arriving in your home in order to celebrate a nice and harmonious Christmas.

When they arrive :

1. Ma looks around and asks "when have you dusted the last time ?" and Pa asks, "why are the coats all hanging here, don't you have a wardrobe and all these shoes laying around ! At my time we had to put our shoes in a shoe cabinet !"

2. Ma says "where is your son, is he gone again ?" (pointing out "again" as if he would live in the street) and Pa adds "at least when we are arriving he should be at home, the car is full of gifts !

3. Then they start to argue about where to put the wrapped gifts. Each family member has a space under the tree. Pa wants to be on the right side, Ma too, child on all places and you look hopeless for help to the ceiling.

4. Pa says " you bought an old tree" and Ma adds " it's loosing its needles already !" and "why didn't you take the golden decoration from last year instead of this new ugly red one ?"

5. Looking at the gifts which finally found a place under the Christmas tree child says "what ? is that all ?"

6. Grandpa states " the children of today want always more ! at my time (when was his time ???) we were happy with a few oranges and a wooden horse.

8. Child said : "Pff, wooden horse, I prefer a real one ! and oranges I eat the whole year long !"

9. Pa said " then be good at school and find a good job and then you can buy yourself a horse !" and with a disdainful look to the parents adds " they cannot afford it"

10. Ma in the kitchen, looked at the turkey : "isn't it a bit small ?" and Pa : "how big is it ?" Daughter says "xxx" kgs/lbs Ma "what ??? that's too big !!!" Pa said, "I don't want to eat turkey for a whole week, (a whole week ??? Help !)

11. Ma : "I'll prepare the turkey, yours was not good last year !" Pa said "No, she has to do it, after all we are the guests, and she does it better than you" ! Ma runs crying out of the kitchen. Pa said "she is hysterical".

12. Daughter runs behind "Please come back, you can do it" After a niagara fall of tears, she finally comes back.

13. Pa shouts "every year the same fights, I wonder why we are coming here with a car full of gifts ! Nothing is normal in this household !" (I just wondered what is "normal" ?)



Pa : "and the cat sits on the table, that's disgusting !"

And so was my Christmas for many years. Dramatical, but I survived !

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Rosie

MY WORLD

is here

FUN MONDAY - Inner Giver Season ?

Sayres our host this week asks :

How will you express your inner-Giver this season? Do you donate to a major charity? Do you serve food in a soup kitchen? Is your generosity something private that you do without recognition or do you hand the guy on the corner a dollar whenever you drive by?

Not only do I want to know what you do, but how you do it, why you do it, and a story about your activity and how it made you feel.

I don't belong to the women who discover their giver hearts only in the Christmas season and start to spend their husband's money on all kind of charities, so that afterwards he can deduct the amount from his taxes. That's what usually women do here in my posh Waterloo.

They also sometimes start to work for a week in one of these restaurants where the homeless can eat for nothing, so they have a good conscience and ... very important, they can tell their friends. I rather admire the people who always work there.

I personally just act like I act the whole year around. If someone is in need I try to help. If I can read for a blind person I do it, for that I don't have to wait until December. When clothes are needed for the poors, I put order in my wardrobe and are amazed what a lot of stuff I don't need anymore. When there is a food collection in a supermarket, I fill in a carton. I do the same for animals in need.

I never give money to a beggar, I will rather buy some food. There are organized gangs here who put their women at the entrance door of a shopping mall with small children and force them to beg.

Once in winter I bought shoes and socks for a barefood child. The guy who observed his woman from far got really angry, I saw it on his face, but when he looked at mine, he turned around and I told him with an icy voice "if ever you dare to take off the shoes of this child, I call the police, I am coming back in an hour and I have my friends watching you ! "(of course that was not true) It itched so hard in my hands to slap him in the face ! I never saw the woman again, he probably moved here to another place. It's so sad !

So I can't really tell a story of good works I do. I don't pretend to be a Christian, because for acting good and with your heart you don't need a special religion. There are also jews, muslims, buddhists, hindus or whatever who are involved in charity and help people in need.



one of these poor women. I took the picture with a zoom from far.

And to the question how it made me feel, I just feel nothing. I feel normal.

WEEKLY WINNERS

More participants here at Sarcastic Mom Weekly winners

We were invited to an alsatian sauerkraut evening in Mr. G's favourite Tavern/Brasserie "La Poussinière" in the Waterloo shopping gallery, which had been opened for this event. Usually the gallery is closed at 7 pm.









Beautiful flower arrangement



The owner Mr. G's friend is a Ferrari fan. This is a replica of this year's Ferrari steering wheel, signed by Raikkonen and Massa. Apparently there are only 24 in the whole world.



and the exhaust pipe of Michael Schumacher's 2001 Ferrari.



For jungle lovers an elephant



a cute horse from a caroussel



the plate



I look as if I had eaten already, after the meal, I really was "full"