FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

Happy New Year to all of you, this is my first post in this New Year which I hope will be better than the one we have behind us and which I think made me loose a year of my life. 

Living nine month like a prisoner under lockdown with a little interruption between Lockdown N° one and N° two which is not yet finished and very much to my great regret, we had to take the lockdown with us into the new year. 

Nothing really happened between Christmas and New Year, we had our lockdown meeting twice, otherwise I went shopping for our New Year celebration, because this year we celebrated New Year's in our home.

The official rules for New Year was one "bubble" (humans living under one roof are now called bubbles) plus one guest and on top a curfew at 10 pm !! 

We found a solution we probably celebrated with the Australians or another continent where at 8.30 pm our time it was midnight somewhere ! 

Our guests arrived between 3.30 pm and 4 pm in order not to arrive all at the same time. We were all together 6 so not exaggerated, only 3 too much ! 

Everybody brought something special to eat and his drinks. I had dressed the table as a buffet and everything was put on, except a delicious Tiramisu which Chantal had made herself as each year, and which we had put in the fridge. The bottles of Champagne (without and with Alcohol) were on the balcony. 

Each person had also brought two little gifts well wrapped in paper which we put in a basket (picture on the top)

Then we started our "evening" we chatted ate and were "thirsty" Champagne always tastes good ! Little Rosie was happy she went from lap to lap and was the star of the evening. 

After the Tiramisu which was delicious, we started our game as we do each year. One person takes the two little gifts she had brought and let the others touch it and they had to find what was inside ! That was hilarious because sometimes it took half an hour until we found the solution ! Of course we had a lot of fun. When all gifts were distributed it was close to 9 and we decided that it is midnight now ! We raised our glases and wished (without kisses) a happy and better New Year to each other !

At 9.30 they left because everybody had to be at home at 10 !! What a special New Year celebration but at least we had as much fun as the other years.

I wasn't tired yet and watched a show on TV, at midnight I heard some fireworks and went on the balcony. There were two on one side of the building and two on the other. Fireworks were striclty forbidden and a big fine of 750 € had been fixed for those who didn't obey ! 

They didn't last long, and then I saw helicopters in the sky probably the police checking from where it came. What a New Year's night ! It was a silent as in a church. Everybody remained inside. 

I got Whatsapp message from Toby proud owner of his first Smartphone, he is ten and I found it really touching that he had thought of his grandma ! His parents followed. They were celebrating in Amsterdam and at midnight they had made a fire in the street (well protected) to warm up everybody and all the neighbors gathered around to wish each other a happy New Year. I found that very nice. It was outside and everybody was in front of his house so no rule was broken ! (or maybe a little bit)

Toby with his new gifts and the family video call, as so many families did this year ! At least we could see and talk to each other ! Would have been terrible if we wouldn't have these possibilities !

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

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 !  

 

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

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.

 

 

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