THE TRUTH

I got an email today showing pictures of the ferocious debates in the Belgian Parliament

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

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1. The yearly winter sales have started in Belgium. There are only two Sales per year, the summer sales starting in July for one month and the winter sales starting at Jan 2nd. Otherwise no Sales are allowed. But there are other means to reduce prices just by putting "closing down" but the shop never closes down, or "liquidation", and the store is always full of goods. After acqua gym I went "boots" hunting. I "needed" a pair of black boots, but of course when you are looking for something you find nothing.

2. After New Year I usually get fed up of my Christmas decoration and want to get back to normal life. I gathered all my courage and took off all Santas, angels, garlands and balls and put them in a big suitcase which Mr. G. carried to the basement, for the next year !



Now it looks normal again !

3. We had a very stormy weather and it also rained cats and dogs, fortunately I didn't have to go out and stayed home, except in the afternoon I just went next door to Dominique to show her our Christmas pictures and we had a cup of tea in front of her open fire. Very cosy when it's so awful outside. As our grandchildren have the same age with only 4 days difference, hers a girl mine a boy, we discussed what had changed over the years concerning the user manual for babies today, and stated although they live in different countries, the pediatricians seem to have the same ideas now ! Lots of things which were considered bad in the 70th are good now.

4. For a couple of hours the sun came out and although it still was very windy, I went "boots" hunting again. This time in another shop and there I found exactly what I was looking for,



Nice comfortable black boots, here presented by a not at all interested Rosie despite the good leather smell. This was Mr. G's Christmas gift. I had got a voucher for Christmas. The only thing I need now is, that it stops raining and I can go out for a trial walk !

5.



We got storm alert for the night, on TV firemen were speaking and told us what we should do to avoid disasters, with the result that we had a very peaceful night. So some people panicked for nothing. It's not the first time it happens that storms and floodings are announced, but when it really happens it takes us all by surprise. I wonder if the Weatherman had too much champagne on New Year's Eve ! There is still strong wind and also some damages but nothing too serious. (sor far !)

WHAT ABOUT GREEN ?

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

Together with friends we were talking about colors, and what is in fashion for the moment, as all new houses are painted in grey outside while inside brown and black is dominating. I love warm colors like red, orange and a warm sunshine yellow, but I don't like green. Green is a mixture between blue and yellow, which are called primary colors. From there on you can mix all shades of greens.

But I love green outside in the nature in the soft patchwork hills of England or in the woods or parks wherever I see green. I would never paint a wall in my house in green, not even a light green. To me it looks freezing cold in a house. The walls of waiting rooms at doctors or in hospitals are often painted in green and the surgeon wears a green outfit which would be the last color you see before you go to paradise or hell, I mean if something goes wrong.

Besides the green fields, pastures, woods and yards I also love green jewelery stones, like an Emerald for example, or Malachite or Jade. But I would never wear a green cloth, it makes me look like Frankenstein's wife, it just doesn't fit to my skin and makes me look greenish.

Culturally, green has sometimes contradictory meanings. In some cultures, green symbolizes hope and growth, while in others, it is associated with death, sickness, envy, or the devil. The Islam venerates the green, as it expects paradise to be full of lush greenery. I think our paradise is rather light blue with fluffy clouds. But I am not sure as I haven't been there.

Political groups have choosen green as a symbol of environmental protection and consider themselves part of the Green movement, some naming themselves Green parties. Green parties are very practical, because they are against all governments in all countries, whatever decision is taken. People who don't know for whom to vote, vote green, green is good for everything, for the environment, the food in short for our well being.

This said, it's all a matter of taste. My mother for example loved green, had a green kitchen, green bathroom, green toilet and wanted to convince me to love green. Therefore she had chosen our guest room's bathroom all in green, the bathtube and the sink, while I was in hospital giving birth to our son. Mr. G. of course, who has no idea of colors and doesn't even see them and wouldn't be able to say if a pink elephant is real or if it is the grey one, had no objections and 35 years later I am still with my green toilet and sink ! The shower cubicle meanwhile we replaced into white.









These pictures represent the kind of greens I love.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

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18 and something !

OUR WORLD - Mala India

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Each time I want to escape my little world to another place in our world I take my car and in 5 minutes I am in an Indian house and in an exotic world too !



The shop is located in an industrial area and you would never believe that behind this rather cold looking outside there is Ali Babas living room !



The first suspicions you get because it looks out of place is this beautiful wooden Elephant, at the entrance, just in front of a Garage which repair cars ! Not a very romantic place.



But as soon as you step inside you are in another world. The shop is presented like an Indian house, with soft music, a fountain at the entrance and in a corner seats and little tables where you can drink a special Indian tea.



You walk through the ailes, everything you see you can buy.



The shop is beautifully decorated and kept by volonteers, the benefit of the sales goes to an Indian village and finances Indian schools. Most of the items sold here are handmade.



a beautiful door



and the bedroom. The furniture is sold so quickly that almost every time when I go to this "house" the bedroom has changed.



A dining table with chairs



clothes, jewelry, books, CD's etc.



Little things ideal for a special gift



decorations for festivities



alleys to the different objects. They also have tea, spices, food, and a beauty shop.



fabrics, carpets and dishes are on the second floor



besides small statues there are also big once





This one was my favorite. As I often go there when the weather is grey just to lighten up my mood, this one made me always laugh. Last time it wasn't there anymore, somebody with a lot of space and money had bought it !

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of 31 December
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Fortunately I hadn't ordered 6 Sushi menus for our New Year's Eve because 3 people had to cancel they finished the old year with a cold and had to stay home. Nevertheless one friend came and we had a very nice New Year's Eve with our Sushi menu, Champagne and chocolate mousse.



I also had bought little pill boxes in "my" Indian shop and had put Horoscopes in for 2012, which I had googled and then printed out and cut and put them in the boxes. We had a lot of fun with it, because of course it fitted perfectly on everybody ! I have to be careful with my money, Mr. G will become more beautiful, and Nicole shouldn't look for a new partner who won't bring her luck. She very much agreed with that ! Mr. G. checked his face this morning but the beauty hasn't shown up yet only a growing beard.



He had got this beautiful box with a Panetone the tradional Italian Christmas cake from his Italian food supplier on the market, who is also his friend, but we had so much to eat that there was no room for it.

At midnight our cats besides two disappeared under the beds because they were afraid of the fireworks. We went in the garden and watched a bit. I don't know what happened to me but on the last day of the year I didn't take a single photo !!

Sunday was a lazy day, I just tidied up the living room a bit, then we watched "Johnny English" With "Mr. Bean" which I had recorded on TV and got rid of all Christmas stuff on my blogs and made new headers and changed the background color. Tomorrow I will do the same in our house ! Once New Year is over I can't stand all these ornaments anymore, I start to think of spring !

We had the warmest New Years Eve since 1873 ! with nearly 11 °C (52 F) ! So probably it will snow in summer !

SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

Lose weight by hiding it somewhere where you'll never find it.

Start smoking to lose weight

Eat more fruit... snacks

Only get divorced and remarried once this year.

Do less laundry and use more deodorant

avoid taking a bath whenever possible and conserve more water.

Stop saying,” Ooh, that feels nice” whenever the security guys frisk you at airports

Stop taking a sleeping pill and a laxative in the same night

Only eat white snow

Don't show up drunk at a custody hearing.