FRIDAY's FAVE FAVE - FIVE ON FRIDAY

1. After the nice and sunny weekend the sun went on holidays again. I pottered around in the house a bit, my cleaning lady is in Poland and spent some time on my computer. Dominique my ex neighbor should I say by now, had come back from her holidays and checked her house. Since November she had moved in with her "fiancé" in his house and only comes occasionally to see if everything is OK. Otherwise we have to do it ! She will get married in September, which nobody can understand, at her age even her daughter who lives with her partner for 9 years doesn't get married. Apparently he insisted, so he must have his reasons. I only hope that she will be happy, she had 20 years of hell behind her with her first husband ! Some people never learn. It's sad when it happens to a dear friend and you can't do anything about it.

2. Four of our painting group met for lunch in our Asiatic restaurant and we could even sit outside on the terrace. It was very nice and we stayed there until 3 pm !

3. I had got a flower bouquet from my son for my birthday and some of the flowers which were in there just dried. So I didn't want to throw them away and made a table decoration.



I had a log and just pinned the flowers and 3 snail houses on it. And this is the result.

4. I prepared the documents for my trip to the UK. As each year I will stay at my friend's house in Eastbourne, only this year it will be a little strange at least in the beginning because my friend past away last year. Last year I stayed in a hotel but this year he insisted that I should do as it has always been for nearly 10 years.  From there I will go alone on a coach tour up to Edinburgh where the Edinburgh Tattoo takes place, make a boat trip on lochs and will see Gretna Green and Glasgow. Then I return to Eastbourne for 5 days and meet with other friends too.

5. We had the visit of our young friend and I spent the whole afternoon in the garden.
We had a problem with our oldest cat Pookie (18) and I feared the worst. She walked like a drunken sailor. The vet came and we were already prepared to say good bye forever to our dear Pookie, but fortunately it turned out that she was still in quite a good shape and the fact that she has lost her balance, apparently is normal for old cats. We had our morning shock and it took me some time to recover ! 



Mr. G. tries to stop cigarette smoking and had bought an electronic cigarette, which Arthur presents here. Apparently it helps he only smokes now 3 real cigarettes per day, and I am happy because it doesn't smell at all, it's as if he is smoking a water pipe !

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Yoga in the park




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BELGIUM's NATIONAL DAY

As all countries Belgium too has its National day, and usually that day it rains, that belongs to the tradition. Except this year, the sun was shining and we had a wonderful weather !

The Belgian National Day is the day which Belgium celebrates on the 21 July each year.

The festival's formal establishment dates to a law of 27 May 1890 and commemorates an event on 21 July 1831 in which Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg swore allegiance to the new Belgian constitution, thus becoming the nation's first monarch. The king's vow marked the start of the independent state of Belgium under a constitutional monarchy and parliament. Says Wickipedia !

While in Brussels the King, Queen and other Royal family members sit on a tribune and watch the parade, in our little town the celebrations are more fun !



After our mayor (below left)  had held her speech, the flag was raised, and the anthem finished, everybody mingled together and chatted and greeted people they know.



Orchestras were playing and people dancing and our mayor danced too (below right with the white blouse and the man in blue shorts)





There were lots of games for children



A wall for wall painters where they could paint to their hearts content



and of course a lot of food and barrels of beer !

The day ended with a firework in the evening, apparently it had been very nice, but I was too lazy to watch it so late.

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WEEKEND REVIEW - July 23

During the night of Sunday to Monday we had a heavy thunderstorm, which caused a lot of damages. Fortunately not in our area.

When I opened the shutters I could hardly see my neighbor's house on the other side of the street ! It was so misty and moisty, that when cat Rosie came home her fur was humid and I thought it had started to rain. The temperature had dropped from 34° to 18 ° and I had to put on a cardigan ! What a moody weather. The sun didn't come out the whole day and I had no energy to do anything, I had done enough during the National Day festivities. I worked on my computer and watched some crime series, while Mr. G. was glued on the screen watching his Formular 1. And yes, I folded the laundry and put it away which seemed to me as if I had spent the day working in a coal mine.

Sunday the sun was shining again but it was  not so hot and real nice.



Nicole and I and Charlie (of course) went to the nearby Lake Genval, where each Sunday a "Green Sunday" is organized. Just in front of the castle there are stands with drinks and food, beach beds and chairs are displayed, people sit there and picnic children play and it's a very cheerful atmosphere;



Just besides us was a Yoga lesson going on and Nicole "participated" sitting comfy on her chair !



We spent a very nice afternoon there, chatting and watching people and it was nearly 6 pm when we finally returned home.