HIPPIES AND PEACE, 50 YEARS LATER

When I saw the prompt word for today, I thought that the word peace was a word which was used all the time when I was a young girl 50 years ago ! It was the time of the Hippies the Beatles and the "Peace & Love" time ! There was Woodstock and a revolution of the youth against the establishment, and rules of the adults.

When I look at the following pictures I think it's sad,  nothing has changed ! The revolution and the cries for peace have vanished in the air. The hippies who wanted to change the world and protest against wars, became just like their parents, Mum, Dad, kids, house, job all honest and quiet people. Only the music has changed. Back then, parents heard piano music and violin while we their children, and our children still listen to  the Beatles, Elvis, Rollings Stones etc.

Those who in their 20th or younger fought for peace and against war, live more or less today like their parents did, and are meanwhile grandparents too !

What is left of the youth revolution 50 years ago?

The fashion that keeps coming back, the music, but the peace hasn't come, there is still war around. Our parents survived (or not) WWII, we don't have World Wars anymore, we have now to fight against an unknown Virus who has locked down the whole world.

That has never happened.

Lockdown phase 2.2

linking to Linda.G. Hills One liner Wednesday - Peace

MAGIC WOULD BE .....

When our house was ready freshly new built and we finally could move in it was in 1975. We were just starting our thirties, had a 2 1/2 year old little boy, worked the whole day and  moved with a friend's little truck on an April 2nd and it snowed !

We had no steps to get in the house, somehow I had forgotten that they were not included in the price so Mr. G. had put some wooden boxes together and we lifted our guests into the house.  We had no garden, it was just the earth they had shuffled out to make the basement. This summer it was very hot and I had put an old carpet in front of the living window so that we had a patio ! Some peopled called us "posh" because we had a carpet in our garden. At least our little boy could play.

Time flew by and exactly 45 years later we thought it was about time to leave our house. It had all become too much for us. Steps and garden made us troubles, Mr. G. wanted to stay, I was fed up and wanted to leave. I am not attached to bricks or a house my memories I have in my heart. Finally he also agreed because it became more and more difficult for him to walk up and down the steps and no way to do anything in the garden.

The first apartment I saw I fell in love with and thanks to the Coronavirus we got it. It had been empty on April 1 and the lockdown had started and visits were suspended. As soon as estate agents were allowed to work again, we signed the contract.

Today two moving company's agents came to make an estimate for the move

And now it would be magic if I could close my eyes fall asleep in our house and wake up in our new apartment, with everything in place, enjoying our first cup of coffee there in the morning !


From here

to here

And when the lockdown is lifted we hopefully can enjoy the beautiful view !



Linking to Linda G. Hills One liner Wednesday Magic

WHY BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS ARE NEGLECTED ?

One thing makes me really angry when I see a very neglected beautiful building, which stands just there and with the time falls into pieces. I don't know why they are standing there and I don't know either to whom they may belong.

Do they belong to owners who have passed away and the heirs are not interested, or have no money to restore, so they just leave it abandonned and wait until it's so rotten that it is cheaper to destroy it and build a new one. It starts with a modern glass box and slowly slowly a once beautiful city becomes a little Dubai with square glass boxes, round boxes  or glass boxes in gurkin form. The more I visit old cities the more I am disappointed.

Especially in capitals, once you leave the tourist area, you see a lot of neglected houses !

Finally I am happy that I have seen them before their "modernization" ! Slowly, slowly all cities look alike, and lose their charm and identity

I found some neglected building in Brussels, which are just standing there and slowly fall into pieces ...






even a theatre











It really makes me sad.


Linking to One Liner Wednesday - neglect

FIGHT CORONA VIRUS WHO WILL WIN ?

The prompt of this week's One liner Wednesday is :

What small things in your life do you now have time to make great?

I don't know small things in my life and what is a small thing ? A plant which becomes suddenly a tree ? Really I have no idea what I should make great now.

Of course as I am retired, I have more time to do my hobbies, which means that I can take pictures and change them but if that means that they are great afterwards, I have my doubts, that's the same with my second hobby painting. I paint mostly acrylic, but I doubt that once I will become a great painter.

All this doesn't bother me I am quite happy with my life, I have no serious health problems, but I have problems with the new Government instructions for the Belgian population to fight against the Coronavirus.

We are confined at home, that means we are not allowed to go out, except for shopping (half an hour) I don't know who will control that. All shops or shopping centers are closed except those who sell food. Pharmacies remain open too. I have the feeling to live in another world. The cashier girl is dressed like a nurse with rubber gloves and mask. Only 1 person per 10 square meters are allowed to be in the shop. There are security guards everywhere. All surgeries are cancelled unless your life is in danger. All hospital beds are for Coronavirus patients. If you don't have a very serious problem at your teeth, don't try to go to a dentist they are closed. Hairdressers are allowed to take one client !

You are allowed to walk outside and take some fresh air, but only alone or two people together with the legal distance of 1.50 m. I don't know where we have to put the old grandma or grandpa or the child if you are a couple. Maybe they have to walk alone at distance and who pushes the wheelchair ? Police is controlling if there are not 5 people sitting on one bench. You risk a fine of 300 to 8000 Euros.

My head is exploding from all these interdictions.

Finally you don't know anymore what is allowed and what is not allowed. As restaurants and cafes are also closed, you have to cook yourself because no the take away  anymore of Hamburgers and Pizzas that is now is closed too. Too dangerous for the personal. Some restaurants not to loose too much money sell their plates as take aways.

Theoretically I am not allowed to visit a friend and if she needs something I have to ring the doorbell and put the things in front of her door and run away ! At the same time you are allowed to invite one person but keep a distance of 1.50 m !

OK I would accept all that if ALL countries would do the same ! But not at all, the UK which is 300 km far from Brussels; separated by the sea, nothing is closed and people live as if there was no Corona Virus and if it could swim over to Belgium ? In the Netherlands our neighbor with a distance of 200 km only the restaurants and bars and pubs are closed but the coffee shops where you can smoke your canabis remains open. Maybe it is a medication for the Virus

And this mess  will last until the 3 or 5th of April, they gave two dates, where apparently we are supposed to be in no danger anymore.

Now I am really curious who will win the challenge, the countries which did nothing or only a little against this virus or the once who locked us up and kept us in prison.

BTW we are not allowed to travel either !!




Hey girls ! Keep a distance of 1.50 m




Linking to Linda G.Hills One Liner Wednesday - Challenge

WHAT DID YOU JUST SAYING ?

Mr. G. unfortunately has to wear a hearing aid. Although it is really necessary according to the doctor and the tests and above all to me, who has to screem when he is not wearing it, he pretends that he doesn't need it !

This causes loud discussions, loud because he doesn't hear and I am so upset repeating all the time "What have I said ??"or "what I am saying" ?

As he doesn't listen I thought I will show him how it feels when somebody doesn't understand immediately. I put earplugs in my ears. Of course he was surprised that I didn't answer to his "what have I said ?" until he touched me and I turned around and pointed to my ears. This made him speachless.

I told him I will continue until he wears his hearing aids again ! I keep you informed .....






Iinking to One Liner Wednesday  just saying

A CAT WHO WILL MAKE YOU FEEL ALL COZY INSIDE

This little girl named Rosie is a professional at all things cozy.













A cat laying somewhere in your living room, makes you feel cozy





Linking to Linda G. Hills One Liner Wednesday

WHAT DOES '' WRITTEN OFF" MEAN ?

I think I googled for hours to undertand the meaning of "written off" but as it has to do with accounting, debts, numbers and all things I hate, and I need a calculator for adding 1 plus 1, I finally understood that "written off" has nothing to do with writing !

Writing I could explain, because I love writing !

Finally I found something what even I understood : Cartoons







Golf in Belgium - 18 holes near you


If the government wouldn't  have the money written off  the holes would be repaired by now !


Linking to Linda G.Hill SOCS - Written off

READY TO WRITE IT OF - WHEN ?

Since this morning I was ready to write "it" of but I didn't know what the "it" was. In fact I didn't know anything because I have not the same time as you on the other side of the ocean. When we are joyfully hopping around or working or whatever, the Americans are in bed and sleep deeply, or have nightmares. The Australians are already one day ahead. Must be strange to travel into the future and land one day ahead or loose a day, or something like that.

I was looking the whole day for the prompt and now that it is 7 pm in Brussels it is 1 pm in New York. I am ready for supper and then go to bed, while you are ready for lunch or just had it and then start the other half of a working day.

When I was little I thought that the whole world went to bed when I went and got up when I got up. School of course was also at the same time. At New Year we all celebrated at "my" midnight and not as in Australia at "my" lunchtime and on top at the beach !

Maybe in future I will be ready to write in time and not when I am tired of a busy day when the clima warming has taken place and I in Northern Europe will swim in a pool at Christmas and the once living in the South have to buy snow boots and of course change the time !

Probably by then I will be sitting on a cloud and observe you, your different hours and of course the climate change which goes with it ! Should be logical, because in winter it's darker earlier and in summer later so not only they have to change the time but also the different "saving times".

Anyway you see I made an effort and wrote for Wednesday when it will be Thursday !











Linking to One Liner Wednesday

MY WINDOW OF THE WORLD

I discovered Internet because of Egyptian cats ! We came back from holidays in Egypt and I was intrigued about their history why they were considered as goddesses and also mummified cats were found in royal tombs. Mr. G. told me if I don't want to carry tons of books from the library home, he would show me how to use Internet. I was a bit reluctant, he was an analyst programmer since 1971 when USB sticks had the size and look of a car wheel. He always talked about computer and as I didn't understand a thing I sat in a corner and faked to listen when the men talked computer ! I was disgusted of everything concerningt computers.

But thinking it over I thought why not, I give it a try and from this day on when I found my first Egyptian cats forums, blogs, articles, and I even discovered Wikipedia, I was impressed ! Slowly but with more and more curiosity, I finally created a blog about cats and Blogging became my Hobby and Internet my work utensil.


2010                                                                        2019

If Internet allowed me to follow up the development of my little Grandson who lived in Amsterdam it was thanks to Internet. I saw him each week from birth on thanks to Skype and later thanks to Whatsapp, til today and he is 9 by now. If I hadn't learned to use the computer and Internet it wouldn't have been possible.

Internet is a great invention, it brings people from all over the whole world together. I have met a blog friend from South Africa in London, I have spent holidays in the South of France thanks to my Blog. Same with Canadian friends and Australians which without Internet I would never ever met.

For me personally, the Internet is the best invention of the last century. With its help, it has become my window of the world.


Linking to Linda G. Hills One liner Wednesday - Internet

BEST FRIENDS

When you cry out of laughter, a rainbow is created in your head!


One Liner Wednesday

WHAT IS A NEIRD ?

As English is not my mother tongue I had to look up the meaning of "Nerd" ! When I found out what it meant, I was not surprised that I never had heard this word because probably I am everything else but a nerd !

The best explanation I found was this one :

most nerds are shy ordinary-looking types with no interest in physical activity. But, what they lack in physical prowess they make up in brains. Tell me, who writes all the best selling books? Nerds. Who makes all the top grossing movies? Nerds. Who designs computer programs so complex that only they can use them? Nerds. And who is running for high public office? No one but nerds. ... Without nerds to lead the way, the governments of the world will stumble, they'll be forced to seek guidance from good-looking, but vapid airheads.

Linking to Linda G. Hill's One linder Wednessday-Nerd

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

My friend prepared a Moroccan mint tea ! Delicious !




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After our scrabble our friend served us a Moroccan mint tea, with delicious little cookies and crepes. The crepes you could either eat with creamy cheese or  with butter and honey. The crepes are very thin you can almost look through and you have to make several layers.

As you can see the teapot is freshly polished and the tea is served in special glasses. When serving, she poured the first glass half full and poured it back into the tea pot. Then she held the pot as high as possible and poured the hot tea into the glasses. The tea is made with fresh mint leaves, green tea and some spices.

I never drink mint tea, I don't like it, but this one is really delicious and I even had 2 or 3 glasses with the cookies and crepes. Of course none of us had supper !


Linking to One Liner Wednesday - pour

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - HUMAN (CAR) WASH

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*****

 HUMAN "CAR" WASH

When I had posted the two car wash photos above, I suddenly thought that I don't know nothing about a car wash only that it washes cars. I started to google just to know who had invented the car wash and was surprised that when I googled in English it was two Americans from Detroit and when I googled in French it was a German inventor. So I still don't know who it was maybe somebody should google in Chinese and the inventor would be Russian. But !! I discovered something else during my surf through the net ! The Human Car Wash !!

An inventor has spent three years creating a human carwash, complete with rotating brush and emergency stop button.



Matti Paaso 70, from Helsinki Finland went through four prototypes to create the 4.750 Euro machine which he claims will help those in hospital and with mobility issues.

It is built with two motors which rotate the brush and move it up and down during the shower - similar to the brushes in a real car wash.



Mr Paaso claims the machine is fitted with two motors which control the rotating brush and the vertical movement of the brush

'It also has an emergency stop button and automatically stops after 15 minutes.'

He said : 'I designed it for people who have mobility issues, or are injured or are older and struggle to shower themselves.'

Mr Paaso hopes the unique shower instalment, which means users don't need to scrub with their hands, will fill a gap in the market.

Apparently the installation is very straightforward, with the machine simply having to be mounted. next to a shower

'The user can wash their entire body in two or three minutes, but as the brushes are designed for a gentle massage the normal washing time is about 10 minutes.

'One of the prototypes was trialled in a hospital for one month and they loved it.'

To operate the Humanwash, users must press the foot pedals or buttons installed on the side of the device.



More participants at Linda G.Hill One liner Wednesday

MY CAT AND LEATHER SHOES

My cat Arthur loves leather shoes. It seems to me that the leather is acting like a drug on him. When my scrabble girls came on Monday, there was one who wore apparently very special shoes although they didn't look like. Arthur as soon as he saw her shoes, came to her and started to sharpen his claws on the leather and was very much surprised that the owner of the shoes screamed and threw her feet in the air. Arthur hesitated for a second and then probably thought I will wait until she puts her feet down. Which of course happened. He immediately returned and started to roll back and forewards on her shoes. He was really in love with them.



My friend had to laugh but also feared for her shoes and I suggested that she takes them off and I give her a pair of slippers. She took her shoes off and hid them behind her bag.

And while we continued with our scrabble, Arthur was looking for the shoes and it didn't last long and he found them, pushed the bag aside and pulled one shoe out. Fortunately before a catastrophe happened one of us saw him and took the shoe away. Arthur was not happy and sat there and meowed. I gave him some whipped cream to comfort him.



He kept us company the whole time and when they went away and my friend had put on her shoes again, he escorted her to the car, still trying to catch some smell from the shoes, so that she nearly fell over him and she had to walk like a storch. We all laughed, and I didn't say anything, because I know that she loves Arthur. Everybody does, he is such a charmer.

He was very disappointed that the shoes had gone and offended  he returned to his napping place in front of the heating.





Linking to One liner Wednesday