ARE YOU A COMPUTER ADDICT ?

If it doesn't look like this in your office, kitchen or living room



if you see your son or husband caring about his baby like this



If you can't let nature go its way like this



If you don't get mad



and if you don't wish to have a grave like this .....

Then you are NOT a computer addict !

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. I finally could reach the plumber who arrived at 5.30, although he had promised to be there at 3 pm. I don't know how your workers are but with ours here it's a lottery game, do they come or not ! He stated that the tube could not be repaired because it was welded to the faucet. Very clever of the manufacturer, because instead of replacing a tube you have to buy a new faucet ! Another day without water in the kitchen !

2.


Acqua gym was on Tuesday instead of Monday because of school holidays, I don't know why they change days, as we are mostly not working women and have nothing to do with children anymore. Dominique and I arrived a little too early and for the first time I was able to make a picture of the swimming pool without anybody in it !

3. My hair needs a cut each 6 weeks and it was more than urgent to go to the hairdresser, I looked like a Halloween witch. Now I look a little better.

4. Since we have had removed all bushes and plants at the side of our house, the window in our guest room needed curtains because it was too light especially when the sun was shining. I still had a piece of fabric and as I cannot sew, Dominique came over to take the measures, cut the fabric and took it with her to make the curtains. Very sweet of her. Then of course we had a cup of tea together.

5. My friend Nicole has a holiday flat in Ostend at the Belgian coast and as she had to look after it before the rental season, she invited me for the day. So I took the train to Ostend and had a very nice day.



The flat is absolutely gorgeous for max 4 people to rent with a nice view on the sea and even an open fireplace. Because it was quiet windy and cold, we just made a little tour and afterwards had lunch in her flat and looked at the sea from the warm room.

Unfortunately the lift was in reparation and out of work, and we had to climb up 7 floors ! Charly the dog went on strike after the 4th floor and it took some time to convince him that we had to go up another 3 floors. But we managed, although my legs hurt a little today ! Going down was much easier.

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WHAT'S YOUR NAME ?

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

In the past at least in Germany when a woman married she got the name of her husband. Miss Jones became Mrs. Smith. In case of divorce she could ask for getting her maiden name back or keep the name of her ex husband.

When my parents moved to Belgium, my mother suddenly was not anymore Mrs Newman as she had been for the last 21 years, but suddenly Mrs. Oldman, her maiden name, which confused her so much, that when at the Doctor's she was called she didn't move because she thought it was another person.

In Belgium a woman keeps her maiden name from diapers to coffin on all official papers. So it can happen that Mrs. Jones has 8 children all named after her husband's name Smith and in the mailbox you have one letter addressed to Mrs Jones and letters to her children are in the name of Smith.

When I married I changed name and in my passport it was changed too as I have a German passport. Now I was Mrs. Black and not Miss White anymore, but not for Belgium there my name remained White, although in private live everybody called me Mrs. Black, on official papers like driver licence or identity card, I only changed from Miss White to Mrs. White. When I booked a flight I always had to insist that the flight ticket had to be on my husband's name and not on my maiden name, otherwise I got troubles at the check in.

Therefore it happened in the past that Belgian couples had to travel with their marriage certificate otherwise they wouldn't get a double room in some countries, only because on their passports they had different names but were married ! Today nobody cares anymore if you are married or not.

I mean in one way it is logical that a woman born as Jones should remain Jones her whole life. Why taking the name of the husband ? and when she divorces 6 times she has to change her name 6 times too ? That's what I think today, but in the past I was so proud of my new name that I was quiet angry when I was called with my maiden name.

Today it's different in Germany, it became even complicated because now women can choose what they want : to keep their maiden name or take the husbands name or both together. The man can also choose he can take the name of his wife. Of couse if she is a noble he would rather prefer to become a Sir than remain a Mister.

In other countries there are also different laws, which I don't know exactly.

But it still seems strange to me when a couple is burried together, on the gravestone they have different names, which for Belgians is normal.

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

more participants here









WII bowling with Mr. G.

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Jill Samter Photography explains what to do to protect you even without this feature.

BUS DRIVE TO BRUSSELS

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Since 37 years I live in Waterloo and I had never taken the bus to Brussels ! It only takes half an hour to get to the South Station where the big Brussels'market is located on Sunday mornings.
I took some pictures out of the window, because clean !



A bus stop with comfort, somebody had left a kid's pisspot there



The bus stops are all yellow. The bus took me through very old parts of Brussels where the old stylish buildings haven't been demolished for ugly modern once





Arriving at the market I saw this car selling "Gaufres Chaudes" which means the Brussels' Hot Wafels.



I had also a glance on the flowers, I am waiting for spring !



When you drive with you car you don't have time to see much, I discovered quiet a lot of areas where I want to go back when it's warmer. I drove this way X times when I used to work in Brussels, but had never payed attention to the buildings and their architecture.



This was the old "European School" which had been created in 1958 when the first employees of the "Commun Market" (today the European Union) moved to Brussels from their countries. Now it is used for administration purposes, a modern school building is just behind.

******

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Jill Samter Photography what to do to protect you even without this feature.

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of February 11, 2012.


This weekend I was quiet busy ! My neighbor's daughter Isabelle celebrated a "round" birthday 45 years. When we moved to Waterloo she was just 6 and loved to play with our son who was 3.



After pizza and brochettes, she showed us how to play bowling with a WII. Mr. G. was very enthousiastic and after a catastrophic beginning he really got involved in the game. We had a lot of fun with it.



Jean, the other neighbor, is 92 years old and loved the game too, he almost got angry when he lost. I think I know now a nice birthday gift for Mr. G. I don't know how I managed but I made a "strike" at the very first time.



After that Dominique and I went to a show presented by "The Stars of the Beijing Circus" to see "The Legend Of Mulan", a Chinese legend. According to this legend, there was a female warrior named Hua Mulan who joined the army to fight in place of her father. Mulan was reputed to be a very brave woman who disguised herself as a man and fought in combat for 12 years (read more here The Legned of Mulan)









It was a very beautiful performance ! The costumes were gorgeous and the artists just amazing. If ever it comes to your town I can only recommend. The pictures are not perfect but a nice memory.

Sunday morning as the sun was shining I took the bus from Waterloo to Brussels for the first time in 37 years ! As I am retired I can ride free on buses and trams and I just wanted to try it out on a Sunday morning. Much better than the train and the bus end stop was just at the entrance of the big market !



I made my little tour, bought some fruits and socks, and then returned with the bus. I think from now on, I will always take the bus to Brussels ! So easy !

The afternoon I had to do with sorting out my photos and we ended the Sunday with Miss Marple and 3 murders. As usual Dominique came over, she loves Miss Marple too.

MY TODAY's HOROSCOPE

My horoscope for today says that :

This is a bipolar day -- though it's pretty likely to be stuck at one pole for most of it! If you find things start to crash around you, it's best to just call it quits and wait.

The pole must be my computer and and as suggested I sit here and wait for the crash.

Another horoscope for the same day found out that :

You're finding fault with yourself and everyone else today, and it isn't fun for anyone. Where is this grumpy mood coming from? Inspect your feelings.

So what I will do, is inspecting my feelings at the computer while waiting that it crushes.

No wonder that I would be grumpy when this happens !

See horoscopes say the truth ! You just have to do what they say.