FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

I am a little confused with holidays in the middle of the week, so I take Monday for Sunday and Wednesday for Saturday etc. I am all the time looking at the calendar, fortunately I am not the only one !

Our son has the week off between Sunday before Christmas til Sunday after New Year, so he could stay a little longer, while my DIL returned on Sunday, she had to work on Monday.

On Monday 5 of our Scrabble group had a get together for Christmas at Khadijah's home. Although she is Muslim she had decorated her house with Christmas tree and ornaments and it looked very cosy. We all had brought a cheese plate and also a cake and the drinks, so she didn't have any work and we had a lot of fun.





Nobody could eat anything for supper !

The next day before leaving for Amsterdam my son and Toby came for lunch and we chatted until it was time to leave. Fortunately there was not too much traffic and they arrived rather quickly.



I forgot to take a picture before they left, but Toby handles his Dad's camera already like a professional ! The only hic is that I always get winter pictures in summer and the other way around. And when I ask for two photos I get 20 and when I ask for photos of a whole week I get one !

We spent Christmas Eve alone in 50 years, I mean the two of us and the two cats. But in life it is always a first time. Honestly I didn't care,  I was invited by Nicole who was alone too,  but too lazy to get up from my sofa to join my friend, when Mr. G. went to bed as usual at 9 pm.

I watched a show on German TV and was surprised how much Christmas had changed !  It had taken the good and funny Christmas uses over from the States  and even had translated songs like "last Christmas" into German which sounded a bit funny to me. I watched almost til the end, but went to bed before.

A part from the laundry which has to be done too from time to time, I spent most of the time in front of our TV or the computer, I was not really tired, but felt a bit KO and therefore very lazy ! Even moving a finger takes an enormous effort ! 



Rosie is like me, to do or not to do (something) that's the question .....

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

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.

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.



1. The city of Bastogne, paid a special tribute to the victims of Tuesday's shooting  in Newtown. It was an initiative of the mayor of the municipality as Bastogne maintains close relations with the United States since World War II, because so many American and Canadian soldiers died there.

26 oak trees on behalf of the 26 victims of the massacre were planted by school children of different schools in the "Bois de la Paix". The place was made in Bastogne for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. It was so sad to see the children who planted the 26 oak trees and who manifested their sadness about the little American children..

2.  Mr. G. was not lucky his car battery gave up it's soul and he just charged it a little with the help of my car to be able to go to the Opel garage, where he got a new battery. Nice Christmas gift and a hole in the wallet !



3. Since my return from Egypt I badly needed to go to the hairdresser, because I looked like a witch without broom.



the beauty salon was nicely decorated and while my hair was washed I had a nice view on the angels and the moose !

4.  Each year Waterloo city invites the senior citizens for a Christmas party in the city hall. This time a Russian group would give a concert with Russian christmas songs. I went there with my neighbor, thinking that Russian Christmas songs are certainly very nice.



We were greated by the major and other "important" people, I prefered to pose with Father Christmas ! He looked the best !



The concert was very disappointing, there were three guys playing Russian instruments (besides the accordion). The bariton singer had a beautiful voice but sang all kinds of songs which had nothing to do with Christmas, like the "Figaro" etc. The only Christmas song he sang was the German version of "Silent Night" !



After the concert we all were invited for a glass of "Champagne" and cookies and as Christmas gift we got a very dry brioche with a little marzipan Jesus, and two Belgian chocolates. I don't know if they had a contract with the dentist, or if the brioches were from last year, they were not eatable unless you want to loose your teeth. Sign of the economical crisis ... start to save money with the seniors.

5. Much better was the Christmas party of our painting class ! One "girl" had prepared herself this wonderful filled bread. We call it "pain surprise" which means "bread with surprise".



The brave girl had got up at 6 am emptied the bread and made little sandwiches of all kinds, cheese, salami, ham, smoked salmon etc. It was delicious



We all enjoyed the sandwiches and the Champagne which was served with it. The always present doggie Shania, was hoping for sandwiches too, but prefered water to the champagne !