BEING A SINGLE WOMEN IN THE 19th CENTURY

In the past when a young girl from the upper class was 18 years old or even younger the family was looking for a suitable husband because she had to marry  ! She needed a husband who took care of her, when the parents had passed away because she was not allowed to work for money only for charity. She couldn't stay single either this was just impossible for her reputation. There were not many choices for women at that time, she could become a private teacher, or living as an old maid with a member of her family but lots of parents just put the girl in a convent her whole life, at least there she was dressed and fed. A rather very sad perspective if it was not her own choice. Single women had a hard life except when they were born very rich and were the only child. But for the majority it was a rather sad existence when they were average looking and not a beauty.

Fortunately today for a woman being single is no longer a lack of options – but a choice. A choice to refuse to let your life be defined by your relationship status but to live every day happily and decide for yourself what to do and how to live. 





Husband hunting ....






Linking to Linda G. Hills SOCS - ingle

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

As our Scrabble friend was still sick, I had proposed to come to us and at the same time "admire" my new TV furniture and the Christmas decoration.


After an interesting Scrabble game which I lost, but won't commit suicide for that, we had  the Italian Christmas cake Panettone and a blueberry cake with whipped cream, which was very much appreciated by cat Arthur who sits besides Mireille. Despite his old age of 18 and deaf, he still is very sociable. We spent a nice afternoon, talking about the different ways now we have to celebrate Christmas with our families.

I will be the first on  Saturday to celebrate Christmas Eve ! Our son had proposed that date because of his wife's patchwork family which has to be visited too. As he has off during Christmas and New Year,  but my DIL has to work, she will return on Sunday and he on Tuesday.

This year I feel that I am getting older and also suffer from my COPD disease probably due to this strange weather, I get asthma attacks, and have to rest. My son proposed to take care of everything and that I don't have to do anything ! And instead of celebrating the 5 of us, he also has invited his friend with wife and two kids. Makes nine. I don't know how this will work, because we need a lot of plates and cutlery most of it is in the basement as we never receive so many people around a table, it's mostly a buffet. I try not to be worried but Mr. G. is very nervous and that is contagious.



The city had organized a Theatre play for us seniors with cake and champagne afterwards, to celebrate New Year. The play was called "Grammar" and lots of people laughed, but I found it a bit boring and behind me a man  snored loud with the mouth wide open and got some kicks from his neighbor ! But it was a very nice afternoon.

 My son sent me these pictures from Toby



To show me how he has grown in one year ! He has his hairs cut, I personally prefer it a bit longer at least the ears covered. It's in the family we all have a bit sticky out ears, me, my son and now Toby too ! Would have been  better to inherit his mum's ears.

We also had our year's end Christmas party in our painting class ! It was really nice



everybody had brought a plate and the table was loaded with food. With that we had Champagne, or orange juice or  water. But there was also Champagne without alcohol and these bottles disappeared first !

Of course nobody had lunch after that, we gathered in a cafe for a  coffee and a little chat before we all went home.

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

MUGSHOTS

I tried to be thick



and then thin



To do list face





and this is my future ....


linking to Linda G. Hill's One Liner Wednesday MUGSHOT

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Who want to be beautiful must suffer !


more participants here,
and Image-in-ing

WATERLOO CHRISTMAS MARKET

Over the weekend we had a little Christmas market built up in front of the City Hall. More then last year and for the first time here.

I went there in the afternoon to take some pictures, as the weather was perfect for this purpose. My friends had a cold or weren't there so I went alone, but not for long, as I met people from aqua gym and also from our Facebook group.


At the entrance I was greeted by a Father Christmas !



There were about 30 chalets built up there, selling all kind of things, such as handmade bonnets and scarfs, jewelry, decoration stuff and of course a lot to eat and drink.

The chalets were the same as in Germany, but less decorated and less christmassy ! Of course I probably had this feeling because we had been on Düsseldorf's Christmas market the week before.


Earrings and necklaces and of course the Lion's Club for charity



Silver jewelry, hot wine and Tartiflette


Christmas decorations


Sausages


Handcrafts ....... Champagne


tents varieties of cheese



continuation of the market in the Galleries with boutiques


Not for empty wallets !



and a big gift box, probably only air in it !

Unfortunately it was very windy and I started freezing, I didn't wait until it became dark and all lights got on






I took this from Internet

more participants here

Awww MONDAY - WEEKEND DECEMBER 14

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

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I had a rather busy weekend ! The TV furniture I had ordered had finally arrived in the shop and I just had to ask my two men who help us with garden and other "men" jobs to pick up the furniture, and  put it together. Fortunately there were not too many pieces but lots of screws and the notice was not in Chinese but in French.



They carried the old furniture in our front yard and I put a notice on it "to be taken away" ! Nobody wanted it not even for free and I had to ask the communal service to pick it up ! They gave me the 7th of January as pick up date so our front yard has a TV furniture as decoration if nobody takes it away before.



Finally the corner was empty, and inspected by Rosie. There were a lot of cables behind the old furniture, half of them not used anymore but left there. I thought I was in a cable shop. It took quite some time to find out what belonged to what and the rest was handed over to me for the bin or to give away. Then they checked if the TV was working and it worked perfectly !

I was very happy with what I had bought, it looked even better then on the Internet picture.



Now I could also finish the Christmas decoration and put some angels and Father Christmas on it.



Amongst all the decoration I had found another 3 garlands and we put them around the plants and along the window. It looks very nice at least to us ! Now the living room is ready.

I also wanted to go to the Waterloo Christmas market, but it rained heavily and there also was a very strong wind. I decided to stay home and watch TV and worked on my computer.

On Sunday the sun came out, the wind was still very strong, but after my blogging work I went to the Christmas market to have a look. This time the city had promised a huge market in several places and also a light and sound show.  I was really curious.

When I arrived it looked quite small not much more then the other years but on a different place.



I walked around met a few people from aqua gym and Facebook and then returned home, I was freezing.



The rest of the Sunday we did like our cats, we rested and admired  the work we had done.