THE FLYING PARKING TICKET

As usual once a month I drive my friend Vivi to the hospital to get her shot in one eye. We left very early because of the traffic. The hospital is located in Brussels in a very posh area and it also had been a very posh hospital and it was a must for the upper class and royals to get their babies here.

In the past years it has become more democratic, but not the parking prices on the street !! There is no parking at all for the people who have to go into this hospital, you have to park your car on the street and for one hour you pay 2 € (2.60 $). If you consider that even in the emergency service you have to wait up to at least 2 h then it can be very expensive and the problem is to find a space not miles away and there is no exception for handicapped people !

We were very lucky we found a space exactly before the exit of the mortuary, there was one mortuary car parked there too and I wonder if it had a parking ticket. I thought it was a real comforting parking space unfortunaely without reduction on the price. Because we were so early we sat in the car and poor Vivi smoked a cigarette, she was very nervous but we didn't see any coffin coming out.

She had opened the window on her side for the smoke and not for the mortuary while I walked down the street to buy a ticket for 2 h and as it was very windy almost stormy I quickly got back into the car closed the door and fixed the ticket under the wire of the GPS so that it wouldn't be blown away when I opened the door again to get out of the car.

I just explained to Vivi that this had happened to a friend when our ticket suddenly whirled over her nose and out of the window, high up in the street and very far away before I couldn't see it anymore. 4 € gone with the wind ! and she had just told me to pay attention because of the wind. We looked at each other and bursted out in laughter ! Then I got out again to buy another one when suddenly I saw from very far away a little white spot laying just in the middle of a crossroad. I ran down the street and yes ! it was my ticket ! As cars rolled over it from all sides, I was afraid it would fly away again. I jumped into the middle of the crossing, picked up the ticket while a lady could just stop her car at my bottom. She was furious, I was happy and waved with my ticket. Then I returned back to the car. This time we payed attention that all windows were closed and we didn't open both doors at the same time ! The ticket fluttered a little when I opened the door but stayed under the GPS wire.

My friend who had the same adventure had her ticket flown under her seat when she got out of the car and as there are always policemen hiding like spanners in the bushes or I don't know where she got a fine for 50 € (67 $), because he couldn't see that she had payed. Quiet an expensive visit to the hospital.

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. On Monday after aqua gym I did some shopping had lunch and watched a little crime story and as it happens sometimes after acqua gym I saw the beginning of the film and then suddenly the murder solved and the film finished. If you have difficulties to sleep in your bed, nothing is better than sleeping in front of your TV screen.

2. I worked on the creation of 3 headers, which you can admire on my different blogs. It was time to change my headers from summer to autumn before the Christmas decoration. I very much like to do that and it took me the whole afternoon.

3. One of my friends I know from Painting classes had been diagnosed with breast cancer and has her operation in 2 weeks. Fortunately it's at the very beginning, but of course she was quiet down


so we went to "La Pomme" (The Apple) which is a pub like restaurant where we had an excellent Beef Fajita



4. I discovered a new shop in Waterloo, a destocking store, where you can buy almost everything new from decoration stuff til houshold utensils and tools. It was very interesting and I wandered around found a belt for my suitcase for 2 € only which normally costs at least 15 a nail brush and other little things. You can spend hours in there, they also have very nice furniture and lamps. Unfortunately there was so much to see that I forgot to take a picture.

5. Yesterday, we had a very windy day with rain and umbrellas were completely useless they just turned over with the wind. I drove my neighbor to the hospital for the monthly shot in her eye and we were almost blown away. I was surprised that so many people have eye problems, the waiting area was packed and we just got the last two chairs.

After a cup of coffee together we returned home.

WHAT IS YESTERDAY ?

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

To find a word with Y and knit a story around is not an easy task ! Finally I found "Yesterday". Because yesterday seems to be so far away according to the Beatles. This is true because sometimes I don't remember what I have done yesterday, but I remember what I did 20 or 30 years ago on a yesterday when it precedes a special date. But then I would rather say the day before...

Yesterday has several explanations according to Mr. Google who always helps me out !

I learned that the day before today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow ! Think it over I am slightly confused in these today's relatives relationships.

It's also a warning : the clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present." I would add tomorrow which would then be the future.

And then to end my Yesterday effusions I just want to ask you "Are you born yesterday ?"

Because that is a way of saying someone is naive - if you were born yesterday, you are a baby with no experience. Usually people say 'NOT born yesterday' to indicate they cannot be fooled.

When people say, "I wasn't born yesterday," they're indicating that they do not believe a story/excuse made by someone else. They are saying that they can see past a given story and see what is really going on.

Now you know all about yesterday !

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

more participants here



Son and grandson

OUR WORLD - Pumpkin Festival

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I went with my friend Ilona to the Pumpkin festival in Ittre near Waterloo. We still had summer temperatures up to 26°C (79F) and the sun shining as payed for.



The welcome sign



and one of the beautiful displays of pumpkins



The farm was old and rather huge, and as you can see many people had the same idea as we.





Choosing pumpkins



or real good honey, I found the decoration of the stand very original.







Besides all kind of pumpkin plates, cakes and jam, there was even a pumpkin Schnaps ! Very tasty, a little sweet and quiet strong Ilona stated !





A Spanish singer sang Spanish songs



While the horses did their show to the music. It was real beautiful.



The kids too had a lot of fun, jumping and rolling in the hay





and two donkeys got a lot of cuddles from them this day.

After a nice refreshing drink, I bought a cone of chips, Ilona a pumpkin, a bottle of Schnaps and honey. Then we drove home.

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

of September 24. If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

With this late summer weather it was impossible to stay inside, so I had a quiet busy weekend.

There was a pumpkin festival near Waterloo in a big farm. I went there with Ilona and we had a lot of fun. There were so many people and lots of good stuff to buy. Real bio/organic !



Besides pumpkins and even pumpkin Schnaps (!) there also was honey, vegetables and pumpkin plates and cakes. There was a show with horses, and kids hopping in hay ! That would have been something for little Grandson Toby when he is a little older



We just got the last pictures of him, he is now 10 months old.



On Sunday there was a big "Old Timer" show at the Waterloo Lion. Cars from 1926 onwards were proudly presented by their owners. The Lion watched over all these crazy car lovers !
It was quiet interesting to see, and nice to walk on the battle field in the warm sunshine.



And last but not least, good news, Arthur is well again, as you can see here on the picture and he has already gained 1 kg !

For those who also have a weekend report here is a link :

RIGHT OR LEFT SIDE DRIVING ?

We have been many times with the car to the UK but it was always Mr. G. who drove. When you are married you become stupid because it's always mostly the man driving, pretending that he drives better or that he gets sick when the woman sits behind the steering wheel.

But it intrigued me why in all other Eurpean countries (or nearly) we are driving on the right side. I googled around to find an explanation.

Apparently, in older days when people passed each other on the road they should be in the best possible position to use their sword to protect themselves as most people are right handed and they therefore keep to their left. So is that the reason why in the UK you drive on the left to be able to carry a weapon in your right hand and instead of insulting the one who doubles you you shoot or stab him through the open window ?? No that can't be because driving on the left side was formalised in a Papal Edict by Pope Benefice around 1300AD who told all his pilgrims to keep to the left. Christians are supposed not to kill (except for religion and in the name of God) and should rather love each other.

The Reason to travel on the right side of the road is probably the fault of the French, because the French Aristocracy drove their carriages at great speed on the left hand side of the road, forcing the peasants over to the right side for their own safety (today it's not the aristocrates anymore but posh drivers in powerful cars).

After the French Revolution, instincts of self preservation forced the Aristocracy to join the peasants on the right hand side of the road, if they wanted to keep their heads on their shoulders and not land in a basket under the guillotine. The first official record of keeping on the right was introduced in Paris in 1794. The change from left to right was then carried out all over continental Europe by Napoleon. The reason was because Napoleon was left handed and had to march on the right to defend himself with the left hand. That's why probably he lost the battle of Waterloo !

From then on, any part of the world which was at some time part of the British Empire was driving left and any part colonised by the French was driving right. Conclusion, thanks to Napoleon, now when I want to cross the channel I have to learn to drive on the "wrong" side and try not to run over more people than necessary.

In America, the French colonised the southern states (Louisiana for instance) and the Canadian east coast (Quebec). The Dutch colonised New York (or New Amsterdam). The Spanish and Portugese colonised the southern Americas. So The British were a minority in shaping the 'traffic' and that's why the drive-on-the-right policy was adopted by the USA, which was anxious to cut off all remaining links with its British colonial past !

Once America drove on the right, left-side driving was ultimately doomed.