THE ECONOMICAL CRISIS

I have no time today (Sunday) to write a new post because we have to downsize for the reasons listed below and move into a smaller house.



I am visiting this house today, and I hope it is small enough !

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Everybody knows that we live in a time of an economical crisis !



We have to eat rotten cheese



dried meat


drink very old wine



take our bath in the yard



and drive a roofless car !

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. Now that I am old at least in my passport, I started to do sport ! I have never liked any sport at all, except dancing which is also a kind of sport. Now I go twice a week to sport activities ! Acqua Gym and Yoga. Apparently it's never too late and I love it.

2. I had made some pictures of my cats on tuesday evening more than a week ago by now and had taken my camera out of it's case. Ever since we are both looking for the red case which in reality is a little red wallet, Mr. G. went through the whole garbadge, looked in the fridge and other impossible places, my cleaning lady looked too, behind and under the furniture, with the result that it is still missing. It must be in the house as I had used it in the evening before I went to bed, but the big question is : Where ?? I wouldn't care that much, but in the wallet was also my spare battery and a friend's USB key with pictures on it ! We still hope that we will find it once in a blue moon.

3. I have been to the theatre with my friend and neighbor Dominique, it was really very nice because it was a quiet small one and only 4 actors who kept our attention for 2 h !



The stage was in the middle and the public sitting around. With little means they had made a very good performance.

4. When I arrived in our city's retirement home where we have our painting class in the big celebration room, I thought I was in the wrong place !



The Christmas decoration was gone and instead I found myself in a "Saloon" ! The whole place was decorated as a Saloon, a stuffed cowboy was sitting in front of the door and inside there were lots of old pictures hanging. Now I wonder if some of the old residents had been in the States and brought these pictures back to Belgium, or if they had been found on a flea market. It was really very nicely done and I am sure all the 80 to 100 years old residents will enjoy the new decoration, which was made with their help.

5. Nothing else special happened only the usual routine.

I LOVE TO WEAR JELLABAS

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

The Jellaba, also called Djellaba or Kaftan refers to the Moroccan garment without hood



The origins of the Jellaba go back to the Ottoman Empire, as it was one of the finest Ottoman clothing worn by the elite. Like other garments, it has gone through changes over the years. Men and women wear Jellabas equally. They are also worn in Egypt.

Jellabas protect against the heat, the cold, the wind and the sand. It's a very comfortable garment and exists in different materials for warm and cold weather.

As a foreigner in Morocco or Egypt, you can wear any type of traditional clothing. It is perfectly acceptable and even well appreciated. In winter, a man can wear a woolen djellaba over his clothes to keep warm. And, if a woman has invited people over to celebrate a holiday, she can put on a Jellaba to receive her guests.

In Morocco, women wear it during special occasions like a wedding. The Jellaba is the basic garment of the bride on her wedding day. It is also worn under a takshita, which is another beautifully decorated gown with traditional, hand-made buttons on the front, wide sleeves and a thick belt worn around the waist (see picture below).




There are also very beautiful Jellabas with handmade broderie and semi precious stones, which are worn as evening garments.

My very first Jellaba I bought in Egypt on a cruise on the Nile.




It was thrown on board for the tourists to buy from Egyptians sitting in little boats. The money we put in a basket and let it down to the boat with a cord. I still wear it on special occasions when I am on holidays, it's the one with the long sleeves. The turquoise one is for summer when it's very warm.



They are so easy to wear on your bathsuit, when you have to go for lunch or supper in a hotel.
These once I also bought in Egypt, until I realized that I can find them in Brussels on the big Sunday market, because there are a many Morrocans who live here. The price is between 8 and 10 €, (13 $) so it's not worthwhile to buy them in Egypt or Morocco and to carry them home. It's about the same price.



Since I discovered the Jellaba, I also wear it at home instead of a dressing gown, these two once are for the winter and in velvet. The red one I bought in the UK in an Indian shop in 2007 ! It had been washed and washed and still looks nearly new !

At least if some unexpected visitors come in the morning they find me in an "evening dress" !



And when Claudie Commedia Land came for a week to Brussels, she also bought a Jellaba !

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

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OUR WORLD - Troc

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When in my part of our world it's raining (again), a nice place to visit and to see funny, strange or exotic decorations or furniture, is "Troc" which means "exchange" but it's rather a slang word.

When you have to empty an household for various reasons, because you move, or somebody died, you can put all things in this store to have it sold and of course they take a little commission.



Near Brussels is one of the "Troc" stores.



The entrance was full of mirrors of all kind and styles



a blue skeleton welcomed me. Unfortunately I forgot to look at the price. Maybe one of you wants to have it for your entry.



paintings, paintings, paintings, some good, some ridiculous, some funny and sometimes a real bargain.



This counts also for furniture tablewear or decorations



For everybody's taste there is something



Vases, masks, buddhas



an old radiator, a cooker and a vacuum cleaner



The frog made me laugh



lamps and also modern furniture




and if you need, an antique craddle is also available.

You can spend hours in there, sometimes I find a little thing to buy, but I have also bought some very nice furniture in the past, a real bargain.

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of January 14, 2012.

Once again we had a lousy weather during the weekend ! As it rained my friend Ilona and I decided to go to Ikea to make a little walk at least there it was warm and it didn't rain.

Ilona becomes great great grandma in April (we have the same age !!) and I am now grandma of 14 month old Toby, therefore we had a look at the Kid's section. Ilona didn't buy anything yet, because she is supersticious and thinks it is not good to buy something for a not yet born baby. I fell in love with wooden toys and bought this little wagon filled with cubes, so that he has something more to play with when he comes to visit us.



He can pull it and build houses or whatever with the cubes.

Skype is a great invention for far living grandparents to keep a contact with their grandchildren, but it is boring for such a little one only to see Mr. G. and my face.



To amuse him I bought this tiger and with my fingers opened and closed the mouth and held it in front of my face. He found this very amusing and laughed.



My fingers I had covered with these little figures, so we could have a "conversation".

We spent quiet some time at Ikea and I also bought a lamp for my desk. Then we went to Ilona's and had a nice cup of hot tea !

Next day it didn't rain. A friend of my painting group had asked me to go with her to the big Brussels "Midi Market" as she had never been there. It was very windy and therefore also quiet cold, but we were both warmly wrapped in our coats.



She couldn't believe the cheap prices and bought fabric to make curtains for her bedroom, for only 5 € /m (6.40 $) ! She could hardly believe it because usually for a good quality you pay more than the double in a store.

I bought 6 pairs of socks for Mr. G. for 3 € (3.88 $) !



and our supper for Sunday evening, roasted chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans.

She also bought 3 sweaters and warm socks. Before we took the train back to Waterloo, we had a cup of coffee in the station. Once again the train was 5 min late. When we all sat in the train, we were told to go from platform 21 to platform 15. Everybody got up carried his stuff down the escalator and up to platform 15. When we were all seated, we were told that the train would leave on platform 21, so we all went down and up again to platform 21 where we had come from. Nobody told us if this would be the right train and we all sat there, the doors closed and waited. No ticket controller or another station employee in view. After 20 min the train moved and then a voice told us that we were in the right train ! It's a real adventure to take a train in Belgium. Delays happen all the time for different reasons. I still don't know what happened, on Friday a man had thrown himself on the rails, I hope this time it wasn't another suicide !

NEW FIRST NAMES IN FASHION

I read an article in our newspaper about new first names. So I thought, if ever you become a mom or a grandma in the near future and you have to choose a name for the baby to come, here are some nice examples of first names given by famous parents ! I don't know all these "famous people" but I start to doubt about their mental health !

Imagine you have to call your daughter or son from the 3rd floor or from the other side of the street :

Harper Seven (Beckham) H aaaaaa rrrr ppp eer S e v e n ! that sounds quiet ridiculous. And if these poor children have to learn to write their name at school .... Bluebell Madonna Halliwell ?? That's a long word to write for a little one.

Bluebell Madonna. (Ex Spice Girl Geri Halliwell)

Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo, Petal Blossom et Buddy Bear. (Jamie Oliver)

Bear Blu (Alicia Silverstone) will certainly be called blue bear

Mirabella Bunny… Brian Adams

Kal-El (Nicolas Cage)

Kingston James McGregor, and Zuma Nesta Rock. (Gavin Rosdale)

Dweezil, Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen, Moon Unit and Ahmet Emuukha Rodan (Frank Zappa)

Rumer Glenn, Tallulah Belle et Scout LaRue. (Bruce Willis, I thought he was a little more "normal")

Bronx Mowgli (Ashley Simpson)

Apple and Moses. (Gwyneth Paltrow)

Pilot Inspektor (Jason Lee)

Fifi Trixi Belle, Blossom Honey Peaches, Little Pixie (Bob Geldof)

But maybe you like these names, so you have some choice here.