30 Dec 2020

HODGEPODGE DECEMBER 30

1. Tell us about your favorite moment or share one of the bright spots from the year we're leaving behind. 

The only bright spot I had this year was the move from our house into a beautiful apartment without steps and garden !! And when everything was in place and I could sit on the huge balcony and enjoy the beautiful view and the sunshine which I had the whole day !

 Sometimes I got up in the night when there was full moon and it was so bright that the whole living room seemed to be in silvery light. For the first time in my life I also started to observe the stars ! 

2. What do you wish you'd known at the start of 2020? Elaborate. 

That I could not travel ! That I was locked in for 9 months with a little interruption between Coronavirus wave n° 1 and the second wave I guess two months later. No travels, no restaurants, no movies, no theatre, no markets no festivals everything which makes life enjoyable especially for vintage people was cancelled. We could walk around in the parks and woods but not sit down and have a picnic because it was too cold. 

We were controlled on each corner if we wore a mask or not, but apparently I looked so innocent with my mask on the nose that I was never  stopped, flights were cancelled, shops went bankrupt and people ran around with the Boris Johnson hairstyle look, as the hairdressers were all closed. A "black market" was organized to find hairdressers who visited us as friends at home. And this kind of "life" still lasts until mid January. Meanwhile the hospitals slowly get rid of the Coronavirus victims while the psychiatric Clinics get full.  The Pharma industry makes a fortune with antidepressant drugs.

Now I dream of masks free faces and only bankrobbers are allowed to wear one !   I also think that it's worse for a killer to be locked in for the rest of his life, then to be sentenced to death because that's only a short moment !  

3. Best book you read this year? If you did not read any books this year, what's the best thing you ate all year? We've all eaten, right? 

I didn't read a book but I read blog posts and old once from the beginning in 2006. I found that far more interesting than a book, I had read so many during my life ! Blogposts described the daily worries or happiness, especially when people from all over the world talked about their problems or their joy and feelings. I came to the conclusion that wherever you live in the world, we all have the same problems and happiness.

I also noticed that a lot of people had given up blogging and went to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, some didn't write anymore at all and some sadly had died. Although it was "only" a virtual friend, there was the feeling of a loss and sadness.

4. The Pantone Colors of the year for 2021 are ultimate gray and illuminating yellow (a bright shade)...are you a fan? Would we find either of these colors in your home or wardrobe? 

I like it colorful, so it doesn't bother me to have white and grey walls but then the rest must be very colorful ! Paintings, decoration, cushions, curtains etc. so that it gives a warm feeling. In only grey and white I would fade like a flower. Yellow is not so in ... here, its more grey, black and white for the homes. Clothes have individual colors. 

5. If you were/are making a list of 21 things to do/accomplish in 2021 what is one thing that would be on it? 

Travels ! and for that I don't need a list of 21 things ! I don't want to do 21 travels but would be happy with 3 or 4 ! Besides that I never make lists except shopping lists.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I only have one thing in mind and it becomes almost an obsession, I want to be free again, do what I want, go to the hairdresser when I want, in a restaurant when I want and never ever read statistics in Newspapers or watch on TV how many died from Corona, are in intensive care with Corona, or have left the hospital Corona free ! 

and normal bank robberies
                                          where the bank robber is masked and not the clients !
 

And above all, that the whole world has learned something positiv out of this catastrophe !  


 


29 Dec 2020

BLANKENBERGE SEA RESORT - BELGIUM


Before the First World War, Blankenberge was an exclusive holiday resort frequently attended by Royalty. They stayed in a special wing of the Grand Hotel des Bains et des Families.

After the First World War, Blankenberge became a very popular holiday resort. Children of poor people were sent here to recreation homes. Blankenberge became the seaside resort of the poors. A train took them directly from Brussels to the Blankenberg station located in walking distance to the sea.

Today it has changed again. Everybody goes there, no social distance anymore. It is a place for families and young people and offers a lot of for everybody. 

I went  there a few years ago with a friend, we wanted to return this year, but the Coronavirus invasion put an end to all my travel plans and 2020 became the worst year for the whole world. 


 The Station

You have to walk up to the beach

All old mansions along the sea were replaced by modern buildings with lots of apartments !



all along the beach were these old little houses which are now squeezed between the concrete blocks. What a pity !

Here is another one, whose owner resisted the promoters !

The pier

A statue


City center

 

This is the last Our World post for this year ! Hopefully next year will be a better one for all of us ! 




more participants here

27 Dec 2020

BOXING DAY - A MISUNDERSTANDING

Years ago when I heard the word "Boxing Day" for the first time, and then in the context of Christmas, I couldn't understand what that meant. 

At that time no computer and no Google only my dictionary which indicated "Boxing, a sport bla bla bla ...." so I stayed with the idea that people would box each other for the presents that day and already saw the packages flying through the air. As my Grandma used to say "Different people, different customs". 

When my son lived in London we spent Christmas for the first time in his house. We had invited another friend and celebrated the German way as Prince Albert the husband of Queen Victoria also did with their children, that meant we unwrapped our gifts on Christmas Eve. And then we talked about our program for the next days and I heard the word "Boxing Day" ! Now I had the opportunity to know why the heck the people would box each other on the second Christmas day !

Our English friend then explained to me exactly why there is a Boxing Day and we all had to laugh that I had lived so long in the belief that the English used to box on Boxing Day.


 


 

Linking to SUNDAY SELECTION and STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

25 Dec 2020

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

Today is Christmas day and for us a a very new version of all Christmas celebrations in our life !

We will be alone only the two of us due to the lockdown. I had got the Father Christmas wish list via a link from grandson Toby, therefore I had no gifts to wrap in ! I had only to pay. 

We will have Sushi because we love them and not a sophisticated Christmas meal. Late afternoon we will get the link from ZOOM and celebrate with the Amsterdam family on the screen !

Even in my wildest dreams, I would never have believed that I would celebrate Christmas like this! Seems like "Back to the Futur" or better "Forward to the Futur"

 


 

 

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

24 Dec 2020

HODGEPODGE DECEMBER 24

1. I feel like episode 400 cannot go without comment. That's a whole lot of Hodgepodging folks. 2000 questions if my math is right. So, what's something you feel like you do 400 times a week? 

Probably more ..... I look on my watch !

2. Tell us where you were and something about what your life looked like in the year 2000? 

For me that would be 20 ago. I had stopped working and missed my office, I was bored and it was difficult for me to reorganize my life. My son had left the house and lived in London and I was at home with 4 cats.  The rest I don't remember !

3. Do you like cinnamon? What's something you make and enjoy that calls for cinnamon? Of the cinnamon 'foods' listed which is your favorite-red hot cinnamon candies, cinnamon toast, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast crunch cereal, apple cinnamon oatmeal, churros, an Indian curry.

I am not a fan of cinnamon and I have never made something which contained cinnamon. From all food which is listed I only know a cooked apple with cinnamon

4. Does Christmas 2020 (or Hanukkah) look much like it has in years past, or is this year vastly different for you and your family? How so? How are you feeling about it all? 

This year there will be no Christmas for me. I have no Christmas mood whatsoever and even the Christmas songs which I loved get on my nerves. With our lockdown rules we are allowed to invite ONE person, if it is a couple I have to leave the person outside and feed her or him in the staircase. Anyway my family living in Amsterdam cannot come, it would be too complicated and my son cannot leave his wife and son alone for Christmas to see his old parents in Brussels !

Therefore I will "celebrate" with Mr. G. and Rosie. We will have no traditional Christmas food but  Sushis which we both like very much. Then we will watch TV  a bit and probably be on Zoom with the Amsterdam family and grandson Toby will show us what Father Christmas had brought him !
 

 The list for father Christmas I got per email with a link to the gift. 10 year old Toby has got a smartphone for his 10th birthday and can communicate with Nonna (me) now directly. Although it is not at all like in my childhood I go with modern times, I ordered the wanted gifts on Internet had it delivered to Amsterdam  wrapped in Christmas paper. The only thing I had to do was to pay !



5. What's one thing you need or want to do before this year ends? 

Close my eyes dream I was a witch and find myself suddenly in 2020, without lockdowns, rules, Coronavirus but travels, going out visiting things and enjoy life !!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I am more than fed up being locked in for 9 month with a little interruption ! People become aggressive, and Politicians mad, now that we really need each others help. I only hope that the world will learn something from this catastrophe !

 


 



23 Dec 2020

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY




 
 

Country life 





more participants here, and Image-in-ing 

22 Dec 2020

CHRISTMAS MARKET IN WATERLOO - BELGIUM

Each year we had a Christmas market in Waterloo. It was just in front of the city hall. It was not big, but cosy and gave the Waterloo people the opportunity to meet, have a drink together and eat special Christmas food. 

This year due to the worldwide Corona lockdown, there are no Christmas markets at all, nowhere, at least that's what they say. Therefore I digged in my photos and found the Christmas market pictures from two years ago ! 



 The City Hall

I wonder what is in this gift box, probably Christmas air !

food and drinks

Handmade jewelery

The lamp in front is a heating for people when they drink their hot wine or beer

of course father Christmas is there too

and a cheese stand

Oisters with Champagne are very much appreciated !




more participants here

21 Dec 2020

AWWWW MONDAY-WEEKEND DECEMBER 19





 A burgler !!


WEEKEND

On Saturday it was an awful day ! Mr. instead of wishing me a "good morning" told me that the toilet was out of work ! Very romantic ! I told him to repair it and leave me in peace until I had had my coffee ! He tried (at least) but had to give up because it is a very modern toilet and we had never seen such a system. 

A thought it is something completely stupid and instead of calling a plumber I called our young friend JC who immediately came and fixed it in 10 min. He explained the new system to Mr. G. and I hope there will not be a next time ! 

In the afternoon we went to Myriam, I picked up Nicole because she is not allowed to drive her car because of the chimeo therapy. As usual we had a nice afternoon, despite the fact that we had gotten a few new Corona Virus rules, which seemed to us completely absurd !

On my way home it was dark and I could finally see the Christmas decoration in the city center. Honestly it was quite poor compared to the other years, there were many empty shops and only a few people on the street !

 

 

This Christmas tree stood on a place not in the center of Waterloo, which was really a pity





In front of the church in the city center stood the same old cone which should represent a Christmas tree !

I have no idea who had choosen this master piece which is also standing there since several years, sometimes the bulbs are broken and the "tree" looks a bit skinny !






Our city hall had no tree, last year there was the Christmas market here ! There was really nothing special to see, not even people ! And they had said we should decorate the houses to lift our mood, but the municipality had done nothing for that !

On Sunday I made my Christmas cards and wrote the post for my cat blog. Looking out of the window I saw gardeners and the house lady standing there, and then they pulled a tree out. Now there is a big hole in the lawn. I purred because I could watch all this from my 3rd floor and had to do nothing not even paying the bill !!

In the afternoon Mr. G's Whist partner came and also Myriam and we ate the Italian and German Christmas cake (Stollen and Panetone) ! For Myriam it was the first time and she liked it. The sun came out and we nearly took a sunbath behind the closed windows. 

It's getting worse and worse here in Europe, lockdowns are extended and flights or Eurostar to and from the UK are all cancelled. You can't get in and you can't get out ! Corona helped at least the Brexit ! Sad for the families who wanted to meet for Christmas