PRAISING NEW INVENTIONS !

With the word "praise" I immediately thought of what nice inventions we have today in our households compared to what our grandmothers or mothers had.



For example we have a robot called Oscar for mowing the lawn ! Each time I see it moving across the lawn in no special order like a human would do, I praise the fact that I can sit there on my terrace, see it working and surf a little on my computer, which also is a big help, especially when it comes to shopping !



Another great invention is the dishwasher which I praise when my guests are gone the stomachs filled and I only have to put the dishes in the machine and push a button, which is terribly tiring. Cat Arthur uses it only when it's empty !



And when I think of my mother who all two weeks carried from the basement a huge pot and cooked the laundry ! Then she had to take the wet laundry out of the pot,  which was very heavy and put it in a spindryer (already a progress), to get rid of most of the water. In fact the whole day was dedicated to the laundry and in the evening mother fell half dead in her bed.

I instead am a genius ! I mow the lawn while sitting at my computer, before I had just pushed on the button of the dishwasher and on the button of the washing machine (previously loaded with dirty laundry) and do all three things at the same time. I am not especially tired from all this work,

I even can still put flour, oil and water in the bread baking machine and bake a fresh bread ! And all this without getting a burn out of too much work !



Linking to Five Min Friday - Praise





Isn't that wonderful ? An easy life thanks to all these machines I praise the inventors !!

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

The week started with some rain, not enough for the grass and trees, too much for me ! I finished my St.Peterburg post with Petershof and Hermitage, which took me the whole morning.

In the afternoon I went again Sofa hunting, but didn't find those I liked so much, they only existed on Internet. On top I can't stand when a salesman is dancing around me and praises the quality of a thing I don't like in the hope that I would change my mind, but I didn't, I became like cat Kim, stubborn.


I decided on black

Fed up I returned home and suddenly I thought what can I risk ordering these sofas on Internet ?? At my age if they last 10 years (that was the guarantee) it would be perfect. The leather seemed good too, I took a deep breath and jumped into the cold water and ordered the two sofas ! First time in my life that I ordered furniture on Internet ! Now I have to wait 3 weeks. They will come from France. My friends had mixed feelings, some approved some said how dare you ... for some people computers and internet are still bewitched things.

For the two old sofas I put an advertising in our Facebook group "Vivre à Waterloo" and 2 hours later a man called me and asked me if they were still available, he needed them for the Boy Scout's Clubhouse, I was pleased that my old sofas would end up as maybe bouncing ball for youngsters ! I had even done a good action and was happy to get rid of that old stuff.

This time Scrabble took place in our house and instead of buying a cake I thought I would serve something different, the girls don't know and bought scones, clotted cream and blackberry jam.



As nobody loved tea, I commited a crime and served coffee instead. They loved it, they had never eaten clotted cream in their life. I had bought it in an English shop, because in a normal shop you don't find it. After scrabble the 3 of them went to the English shop and bought all kind of things I recommended, especially clotted cream !

I was a bit fed up of my Madame Batman bathing suit which I wear each week for aqua gym and thought I have to buy another one, more discreet just to be able to change. I didn't find a real sport bathing suit but one with flowers and when I tried it on at home I found it so nice that I will keep it for the beach in Egypt and take one of my old once to aqua gym !

Summer is back today we have 25°C in October !! Some people think that this never happened, but it did here is the proof : 



On the 11 of October 1969, we had the same temperature at our civil marriage 49 years ago !!

It was our civil marriage. The same day the furniture arrived, we well remember it was hot !!

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

It's hot !!



more participants here
and Image-in-ing

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Peterhof Palace


Of course we also visited the Peterhof Palace. We went there with our bus. We had already our tickets and a Russian guide named Tatjana. She showed us a little around and then we were free to discover the domain of our own.

Peterhof Palace was built in 1703 by Peter the Great (which means Peter’s court in German). Around that time, from 1700 till 1721, Russia was at war with Sweden, and a decisive battle in Ukraine in 1709 became the turning point of the whole war. The Tsar wanted to celebrate this victory so he dedicated Peterhof to the victory over Karl XII. He got the inspiration for the palace design during a trip to France where he saw Versailles.







Read more here

NORTHERN COUNTRY TOUR - ST. PETERSBURG

After we had passed the Russian border control we made a first "comfort stop". I had expected old buildings half in ruins, bad streets etc, and was really surprised that it was not at all the case, in fact it looked exactly like on a European stop, or even more clean and the streets better than in other Western countries.



Read more here

WEEKEND OCTOBER 7

This time my weekend was rather boring, In fact I did nothing the whole day besides surfing (not on a lake) but on my computer to look for two new sofas. That took me quite some time, there is so much choice. Finally I found a model which I like with 3 seats, in an online shop, but I am a bit hesitating to order without seeing it "life". The description is very clear and as it is leather it couldn't be too wrong anyway for our comfort they look perfect.


The seatback in the middle can be used as a table

As the sun was shining and there are a few furniture stores nearby I went there, but of course they had nothing similar or it was the double of the price. But it gave me an idea about the color, because initially I didn't want black, but beige and white look so boring in leather. I think I will choose black or dark brown and put some colorful cushions on it. I have to buy two as we have now. Mr. G. doesn't care about furniture, he is happy that he doesn't have to come with me. I showed him the picture and he found it very nice, but I am sure if I would have showed him a pink sofa with golden seams, he would have said the same.

In the evening we had our Theatre play organized for the seniors of the city for a special price, the play was very funny and had a lot of success. It made fun of politics, corruption, going in and out of the European Union (Brexit), in short hilarious.

After that we went to the Carrefour Lunch Garden and had a drink there. It had been renovated and looks not like a canteen anymore, but like a pleasant restaurant, with nice little corners for 4 people. The food was good and we enjoyed the evening very much.

Sunday I woke up and it rained ! The first time since ages, I don't even remember. I intended to go to the big Brussels' market, but when I saw the rain, I didn't want to walk around and get wet, I can go next week.After lunch I watched a crime story, where a lawyer had murdered his wife. It was quite thrilling until the end I didn't know that it was him.

Then I worked, I gathered all information I could find about St. Petersburg, where I had been during my Northern country tour, but of course had forgotten a lot. Next time I won't listen the guide at all, and take more photos, because what he says you can look up afterwards on Internet what he had probably done too. Fortunately I always listen only with half an ear, because I want to take pictures. I am sure I won't come back here again, but how many inhabitants has the city Madame Wikipedia can tell me. Finally after having found who was sitting on a horse statue, I finished and was happy that at least St. Petersburg city had been done.

I also put an advertising on Facebook to get rid of my two old sofas !