SKYWATCH FRIDAY - FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE - FIVE ON FRIDAY

Since I am back from Egypt on December 9, I only see these skies.

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Skywatch Friday

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1. After our nice New Year celebration, we were quite a little tired, going to bed at 4 am is very unusual. We just spent the day in doing nothing but watching a movie on TV or "working" on our computers. At 8.30 pm we were in bed ! When I think that even with 25 when we were just married we danced until 5,  went home, changed and went working ! Without any problem we weren't even tired. Times have changed !

2. Sitting at my computer and staring at all the Christmas decorations, I suddenly had enough. I pulled all my strength together and in no time I got rid of all this which I don't like to see anymore.




Mr. G. took the boxes into the basement and now I am ready for spring and long days !! Mr G doesn't care. He could live in a country where it is dark the whole day and night long.

3. Sales have started and apparently only slowly, the weather was so bad, we had a storm called Eleonor which blow at some places at 127 km/h, but fortunately didn't cause major damages besides fallen trees and damaged roofs. I didn't even hear anything, I think Eleonor preferred to go another way, because there was really nothing in our area.

4. With this humid weather I avoid to go out, because we have a very high level of humidity, 99 % today ! That's poison for me and I whistle like a locomotive if I do any physical effort. Patience is not one of my qualities and I start to get fed up being locked in the whole day.



I took the opportunity and made a new collage of Toby with pictures from 2017. Each year I change it. Now I have to say between 2016 and 2017 there is not much difference. Only he got taller. 


5. My son had sent us his photos of Christmas.



We had spent Christmas day with his best friend.



And now their sons are the best friends. Little Benji and his sister spent a week in Amsterdam for the Christmas holidays. It is really cute to see these two playing together. They complete each other really well and Toby also has a French "teacher" because Benji only speaks French and a bit English.

Now I only hope that the sun will show its nose for once ! 

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Fast Blog

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE

The masters of the universe..... grandson Toby and best friend




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1. It's that time of year again...time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, or genera uselessness) in 2018. You can read more about the decision making process and word meaning here, but this year's top vote getters are-

unpack, dish (as in dish out the latest rumor), pre-owned, onboarding/offboarding, nothingburger, let that sink in, let me ask you this, impactful, Cofefe, drill down, fake news, hot water heater (hot water doesn't need to be heated), and gig economy

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

English is not my mothertongue so all these words sound right to me even the hot water. We have these absurdities in French too. Anyway languages change, you only realize it when you have been long time out of the country. When I once visited my girlfriend in Germany she bought me a dictionary to understand the youth ! Although German is my mothertongue, there are so many new words ! 

2. What's something you need to get rid of in the new year?

There is no need, everything can stay where it is, I couldn't say my husband could I ? ..... 

3. Where do you feel stuck?

For the moment everywhere, no energy I recover from the festivities and  a flu !

4. January is National Soup Month. When did you last have a bowl of soup? Was it made from scratch or from a can? Your favorite canned soup? Your favorite soup to make from scratch on a cold winter's day?

How lucky I am that it is no Soup Month here, I hate soups ! So I never do open a can or do it myself !!



The only one I like is lentil soup but I don't call that a soup, as it is not really liquid

5. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in 2018.



To this travel in August

6. Insert your own random thought here.

My thought is that I am happy that all these festivities are over, and I can return to my normal life !

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NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

Between Christmas and New Year nothing special usually happens the city is rather quiet and the shops empty. It was the silence before the storm. The reason is that everybody is waiting for the January 2nd where winter sales start and then it is the hell because to make good bargains people line up and the shops are full.

I strolled through the Waterloo Gallery (because it was raining as usual) I needed to buy a new Swatch. I was surprised that the Gallery which usually is full of posh people because there are a lot of very expensive boutiques in there, was nearly empty. Even in the Swatch shop I was the only customer !



and that's the one I choose it looks a bit like a bracelet.



The usually so crowded Gallery was nearly empty at 2.30 pm. I have never seen that !



There was nothing to buy for me, even with sales prices the boutiques are very expensive.

New Year's Eve we spent at Monique's. That's the "girl" with whom Mr. G. plays card in his group and is my friend too.



She had prepared the table for a meat fondue. Everybody had to bring little gifts, like a bottle opener or a book sign, nothing expensive. These were all wrapped and we had to find out what was inside. The one who found what was inside got it.



We started while we had our apperitif with little appetizers and Champagne. We all had brought our drinks and a plate. One brought the appetizers, one the cheese, one the desert a delicious Tiramisu and I had brought a fruit salad. So the meal was complete.



We had a lot of fun in finding out what was inside the parcels ! Mr. G. won these "shoes" to keep his feet warm. Unfortunately they were just a little too small. I guessed, and got candles, and a bowl. Sometimes it was real difficult to find out !



It was already rather late, so we decided to eat. There was a lot of meat, I would say half a cow (not really) the meat was so tender and everybody could cook it the way she wanted. With that we had salad and chips. The vintage girl besides Mr. G. is my oldest friend we know each other since 1962 and used to go out a lot, when we were young. She had moved recently near Waterloo, so now we can see each other more often.



We had to interrupt our dinner because it was midnight ! we almost missed it.

And then we continued with our gifts, and at 3 am we all left. I wasn't tired a bit. We had a very very nice New Year celebration.

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