Sunrise seen from my balcony
Views out of my window
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13 Nov 2020
FRIDAY's FAV FIVE
On Monday I wasn't feeling well, I don't know what I had, maybe it's the lockdown syndrom !
For once I was up in time to see the sunrise ! And while I prepared some blogwork I took some pictures of the view I had looking out of the window.
I still have another carton in the basement which I have to check, the one I had carried up and locked myself in the garage, contained all cats which I had put in there for sale, it was the wrong one, I forgot to put labels on the cartons ! This time I will be more intelligent and see what is in the box before I carry it up. I stayed at home the whole day, and finally found the courage to email a card to friends and people I know with our new address ! That took me half the afternoon and suddenly the day was over.
I had ordered Christmas gifts for me on Amazon, I thought as all shops are closed I will be without anything and it's better to do it now before the best things are sold out !! And for once I was in the mood to buy something for myself. When the parcel arrived I gave it to Mr. G and told him that these are my Christmas gifts. He wasn't very interested in the content but finally asked politely, I told him, he nodded and put the parcel away. I only hope he does remember where he put it.
On Wednesday was the 11th of November, which we almost did not notice, but ALL shops were closed even the food shops because it was a holiday ! Belgium and France have a free day, to celebrate the first world war which took place for over 100 years. The UK remembers this day of their veterans but have to work ! It was a real boring day, it rained it was cold and nobody on the street, only a few dog walkers ! We watched TV and I surfed, not on water but on the computer.
The next day we had our Lockdown meeting and decided to do a Scrabble. As we were 3, it was OK and we enjoyed the game very much ! It had been such a long time that we hadn't played. But sitting around a big table we had enough distance to respect the rules !
Our fridge was empty like my wallet and I went food shopping ! As I had to go to the area where we lived before I thought I would make a little tour and look at the house in which I had spent 45 years of my life !
I saw men on the roof they were installing solar pannels ! The house looked good because they had also changed the window frames. I met a neighbour and chatted a bit with him, there were lots of houses for sale or for rent and on the last free ground a house was built .
I didn't regret that we had left this part of Waterloo, it was not at all the same anymore as it used to be when we moved in 45 years ago.
When I had emptied my shopping bags and filled in the fridge, I was happy to look out of the window, with a cup of coffee and enjoyed the beautiful view now that the leaves are red or yellow and the tree is becoming naked !
And when I saw the pictures I was satisfied that nobody could see that I had taken the photos through the windows, which means that there were clean !!
I can show them to my window cleaner !!
12 Nov 2020
WEEKLY HODGEPODGE
1. It's the 11th day of the 11th month and bloggers often make lists on days like today. Let's go with a list of eleven things you're feeling grateful for today.
I am sorry but I never do lists not even for Father Christmas, the only list I do is my shopping list, but this is not very interesting to number 11 things !
2. What's something you decided to do or act on at the '11th hour'?
If I understand well, we have two 11 hours, one in the morning and one in the evening. For the mornings I usually don't decide anything and just let it go depending on my mood. As a retired vintage woman I can do with my time what I want. Sometimes I only get dressed at 11, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. But one thing is sure what I decide in the evening, that's going into my bed ! And cat Rosie decides that too. Then we read a bit and try to sleep.
3. Apparently the Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe contains 11 herbs and spices. What's a dish you make that calls for exactly eleven ingredients? Feel free to share the list and/or recipe.
In the past I did a lot of Italian cooking as my husband is Italian and I love Italian kitchen too ! It's very healthy, but now finding a dish with 11 herbs and spices that seems a bit difficult but I found one !
Tomato chicken with black garlic
4 pieces of poultry, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 cloves of Japanese black garlic, 2 onions, basil, 1 tablespoon horseradish powder,, olive oil, a handful of pitted black olives, 6 tablespoons white wine
4. Something you remember about your 11-year old self?
When I was 11 years old I had two hobbies ! One was reading books all kind of books and I had such a consumption that my poor father could hardly follow ! He, who didn't like to read books (only documentaries, or other very intellectual books) he couldn't understand that I read so quickly all these children books !
My other hobby was spending outside with my friends on my rollerskates I loved it and we went on the sidewalks and bothered walking people
5. The 11th of November is Veterans Day in the US of A. This is a day to honor those who have served their country in war or peace-dead or alive-although according to the government's website it's largely intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices. Memorial Day is when we honor military personnel who died in service to their country. Share a thought relating to Veterans Day or tell us something about a Veteran you know-love-admire.
In Belgium and France the 11th of November is celebrated as armistice day, which means the end of the first World War. Nobody else in Europe celebrates this day and here not very much either. I think the King puts a wreath under the statue of the unknown soldier a few important people are with him, and of course no surviving Veteran. Most of the people don't even know why this day is off, but are very happy about it. Each year there is a discussion about not celebrating this day anymore, but so far it's still in these two European countries. As we under the second lockdown I suppose all celebrations have been cancelled.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
December approaches and I wonder how and if we can celebrate Christmas this year ? If we are still under lockdown then it will be rather sad. All Christmas markets have been cancelled, and I don't know where we could buy Christmas decorations as only the food stores are open. As we moved into an apartment this year, I had thrown away or given away, all our old Christmas decorations, I wanted new once ! The Christmas tree I ordered on Internet, and I will wait and see if they open all shops or not. Otherwise I will look into the second hand pages and maybe buy my Christmas stuff back, that would be funny !
11 Nov 2020
10 Nov 2020
MY CORONA ARMCHAIR TRAVELS - DINANT
Dinant is about an hour and a half away from Brussels and ideal for a one day excursion. I have been there with a group from my city Waterloo. It is a true picture-postcard town.
Dinant provides a stunning spectacle, especially when you look across the Meuse and lift your gaze towards the Citadelle and the onion-domed tower of the Collegiate church, all highlighted by the ribbon of houses and shops running alongside the river.
Set between a dramatic cliff and the river, Dinant invites you to enjoy the pleasures of the water where you can book a little cruise with or without restaurant and watch the beautiful riversides with lovely little or big houses. take the lift up to the Citadelle (fortress) of Dinant, from where you have a stunning view over the city, the Meuse river and the valley.
Was fun because it shaked a bit and some ladies were not happy !
High on the rock sits the citadelle ! Fortunately a lift takes you up there but you can also go by car or walk.
All along the riverside under the citadel and the church are lined up many restaurants, or cafes where you can sit and watch the ships going up and down the river
The houses are really "glued" to the rocks
The onion domed church of Dinant
The lift took us up to the citadelle and we had this beautiful view over Dinant
Here you could take boats small or big once depending on what you want to do
More about Dinant here at COUNTRIES & CITIES
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9 Nov 2020
AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND NOVEMBER 7
My sleepy heads
Linking to AWWW MONDAYS
WEEKEND NOV 7
Saturday morning I went down to the garage because I had forgotten a bag in my car. I took the car keys and went down to the garage, picked up my bag and wanted to return into the apartment.
What I had forgotten was that we live in a kind of Alcatraz and without a badge you can't get out or into the garage or into the building and the apartment. Now I was standing there and thought how get I out of here ?
I tried to open the garage door, but it didn't move I pushed on all buttons which I found without success ! There was no alarm button, at least I didn't see any ! Suddenly I remembered that in my bag was my mobile and with my mobile I could call Mr. G.
Relieved I called him and told him that if he doesn't come to let me out, I would spent the whole day in the garage unless another human showed up. Maybe he had the temptation for a minute, but then after a while he came down and let me out ! At the last I can say that it is very difficult for burglers to steel here something !
As we have the second lockdown, some of the big stores look very funny. They are allowed to open but only for selling food, cleaning and beautystuff, nothing else because otherwise they would be competitors to the little boutiques which are completely closed as they don't sell "essential stuff" I only hope I will not run out of shoes or stockings or maybe underwear ?? Doesn't matter, I have enough friends who could help me out.
The shop looked like a Halloween decoration, Christmas decoration, clothes, toys etc were hidden under the plastic sometimes you could see a Father Christmas sneaking out of a corner, or the legs of Rudolph ! I think we were three in the whole shop with our caddies and disinfected hands. I didn't need toilet paper but I saw there was none ! Apparently people were hording again ! I bought my cleaning stuff and returned home. Normally on a Saturday the city is packed and one car is behind the other and you have to pray to find a parking space. This Saturday the streets were nearly empty !
I also had to go to my pet shop because cat Rosie's food was running out and also the litter, toilet paper was not a problem as she doesn't need any.
I wanted to buy her little balls to play with and green mice but I found only toys which are more made for humans than for cats, like the "Grumpy cat", Rosie doesn't care about toys representing a grumpy cat, she prefers a little ball, spiders or mice. In this shop there were more people with their dogs and so as you are not allowed to have more than one person at home, the masked dog owners were chatting together and the dogs sniffed at each other not wearing masks.
On Sunday I was so tired in the morning as if I had worked in a mine the whole night. But I had slept and even good. Maybe that a good sleep makes me tired now during lockdown times !
In the afternoon Nicole and Myriam came for our Corona lockdownchats, this time it was my turn. As the hairdressers are also closed I wonder why, because I think they are essential, Nicole and Myriam both amateur hairdressers convinced Mr. G. to let his hair cut at least the "back"side ! He looked like a hedgehog ! They did a good job and now Mr. G looks "normal" again.
Probably next time they will have to cut the front !
Isn't that nice to have two hairdressers ?
The weather was beautiful and some people even sat on their balconies, we had a look over to the park where two dogs were running around and enjoyed their freedom.
Of course in between we talked about the toddler Trump, who still things all States cheated in counting the votes and makes himself ridiculous. I think we will miss him, he made us laugh, the one and only president who did a very good performance as a clown. A lot of people will feel happy now, he was also a dangerous man.
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