STILL LIFE AND CATS

I started art school when my son was 15,  at that age mothers are useless and bother more than anything else. Therefore I had to look for another occupation and decided to learn the techniques of painting.

First I tried Still Lives, but they looked rather boring and really more than still !

I also noticed something strange : All languages ​​of germanic origin say "still life" while the once of roman origin say "nature morte" which means "dead nature". In my personal case I would rather say that the Roman languages are right because my "Still lives" looked rather like "dead natures".  I didn't like it and gave up




These pictures would certainly be very nice as paintings "Still Life" or "Dead Nature" as you wish.

I had realized that I loved to observe my cats and started with painting cats. The only obstacle was that cats never stay still. I asked with my sweetest voice to please sit down and hold still. Of course cat Arthur agrees to please me and I thought the sunflowers would give a nice background. 



But ... Arthur too thought the sunflowers were nice and had first to sniff at them. There was also a box which he hadn't discovered yet. Standing there in front of my easel with brush and palette and asked dear Arthur to please sit down and look at me. He nearly did, but then moved again. Impossible to sit still and then suddenly he had enough, turned around and jumped from the dresser.

I stood there like a still life now and thought I have to find another way to paint my cats, as they don't want to be "dead natures" I left my brush and palette and looked in my computer to find a nice photo of Arthur where he stood still ! On photos nobody can't move.

Unfortunately I don't know if this masterpiece is still with my other paintings or if I have sold it, anyway, never try to paint a cat. Even if she sleeps and wears her tail on the left, the next time you look the tail is on the right !




Linking to Five Min Friday - still

FRIDAYS FAVE FIVE

All good things come to an end, and our last week had started.




In not even two days the tent for the Christmas and New Years festivities were finished.



While we went to the big shopping mall Cleopatra, we saw Christmas decorations on the street. The locals or tourists, just enjoy the funny father Christmas, the beautiful fake Christmas trees, the garlands and the lights



We bought some bits and pieces for Christmas or just as gifts there were such beautiful things which you don't find in Europe or other Western countries.



I watched a young man who filled in glass bottles with colored sand and made little camels or other things with the sand. Amazing to watch that, I had seen it already but it always surprises me how they do it.



In our hotel too each day we discovered more decoration. The Christmas tree hadn't arrived yet, they had ordered a new one apparently.

On our last two evenings Nicole and I watched an Oriental Show in the evening and one where couples from the hotel had to do funny things.



This was a dancer on stilts, it looked just beautiful when he canced



Then a very nice belly dancer





A Dervich who whirled around



and the couples, where the woman had to make a mummy out of her husband with ... toilet paper ! I assure you it's really very funny. An English couple won.

On the last day there was again a fruit festival, this time with strawberries, ! Delicious.



These strawberries taste the sunshine and the other fruits too !

And then we had to leave. Our flight was only at 8.30 pm so we had the whole day at the beach, but we stayed at the pool not to import tons of sand with us in our suitcases. I had asked if it would be possible to keep one room until 5 pm, and of course I got it, I am such a good client !

The bus picked us up at 6 pm and we said good bye to Hurghada.



Last view out of my window.

The flight was quiet without airholes and we arrived punctually at 10 past 1 am in Brussels, were the streets were white with frost ! Our taxi was waiting for us and drove us home. I was in bed at 3.30 am !



And here is my view this morning ! Fortunately the sun is shining but it is cold !! So I feel a little upside down, half here, half in Egypt and I am dressed for the north pole !

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Belly dancing in Hurghada, Egypt






more participants here
and Image-in-ing



And today my holidays in this wonderful place are finished. I fly home this late afternoon



Good bye to my winter residence, to the blue sea, the blue sky and ..... my love Oscar !!

OUR WORLD - SUNRISE HOLIDAY RESORT - HOLIDAYS

My holidays in Hurghada at the Red Sea in Egypt are coming to an end. The two weeks went by so quickly  ! We are flying back into cold grey weather.

Yesterday I suddenly saw a quiet big metal frame work grewing out of the beach in front of our hotel.



I saw four workers on the roof, without any protection climbing and jumping like monkeys



In no time the tent was built, exactly in 24 hours ! Only the "walls" are missing. I had been told that it was the tent in which the Christmas and New Year celebrations were done. Apparently the hotel is fully booked !



I said hello to my holiday love Oscar and gave him an apple. He is so cute.



Looking out of my window I saw this ! It was very windy and the sea was so wild that we couldn't swim ! There was the red flag : Danger






These are little fishes which clean your feet. They eat the dead skin. I had tried it once, but this time I didn't, I just had no time ! Which is a good excuse when you do nothing.



In the evening our father Christmas in the entrance hall looks more beautiful then during the day ! The Christmas tree is not yet there, they have ordered a new one and it hasn't arrived yet. Normally all decoration is done around the 6th of December, St. Niclas day.

more participants here

WEEKEND DECEMBER 8

This weekend I still had to stay at the pool because of my foot. I feared that sand would infect the wound if I walk on the beach.



Staying at the pool was nice too, only I was there alone, because the others preferred the beach, which is understandable. Usually I always find somebody to chat with, but lots of guests had left and the new once hadn't arrived yet. I could swim, the water was nice and warm and I scrabbled on my smartphone !



Little birds cleaned the floor outside, where people had breakfast, there was a real cloud of birds.



A new jakuzzi had been built, and was almost ready for use. It will certainly be beautiful to sit in there and overlook the diving boats and the sea.



I also watched the "stretching" exercises, but there were not many guests who participated. Everybody is so lazy !



There is one special restaurant in the hotel where you can eat once a week "à la carte" served by a waiter, instead of the self serving buffet.

I didn't like it at all, the decoration was not very welcoming and what I had chosen from the menu card wasn't good. My friends enjoyed it.

 I have to say that I don't like to sit at a table anymore during hours as they use to do in France, especially when the chairs are not so comfortable.

But I was alone with my opinion against the 3 others, and the majority always wins. But I survived the cold Broccolis, the steak from an old grandma cow, dry chicken brochettes and sticking rice. The desert should have been a "mousse au chocolat"  It probably was one, but was not made with dark chocolate. I have never eaten so badly here in this "special" restaurant of the hotel. I prefer by far the nice big restaurant with the buffet



Before and after supper we sit here in the galeries, with cosy corners and can look down on the people coming and going.




and out of the window on Oscar, who amuses people walking by. He has a lot of success !



Each evening I find on my bed a masterpiece made out of towels, this time it was a flower !