HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOBY

Today is the third birthday of grandson Toby ! Can only say that time flies by !



He wasn't very pleased to enter into our world, and showed what he was thinking ! Then he took it easy



He learned to sit, to walk ....



to discover the world and its joys



started to speak and became a cheerful little boy !

MY WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 9

Since 5 days now, when I look out of my window I have this rather sad view.



It rains and rains and I wonder from where all this water is coming from. But I shouldn't complain when I see the News, and what happens actually in the Philippines. But still it is rather depressing and on top we have a quiet strong wind.



Looking around me doesn't inspire my energy either, it's a dormitory wherever I look.

The morning I spent at my computer with blogging and also creating cards for different occasions.



This one I will add to Toby's gift for Saint Nicolas on December 6, which is more celebrated in the Netherlands then Christmas. All our life we never really celebrated Saint Nicolas, just as child with a little gift in a boot, but when you live in another country you have to adapt to the customs too.

Dominique had also the blues, so we both went to Ilona who had lightened a nice fire in her stove and we had cake and tea and chatted the whole afternoon, while outside it stormed.

Sunday morning it wasn't better. Fortunately it cleared up a little around 11 am and I could drive to the next little town where a Sunday market takes place and where I have found a little boutique which therefore is open on Sundays too. They have very nice things to interesting prices. To cheer me up and because I had emptied my closet from old stuff, I bought a cardigan and a nice pullover to fill it up again.

Dominique had problems with copying her pictures into her computer so I went over to help her. With coffee interruptions and chatting it took the whole afternoon.

Today is a holiday in Belgium where the end of the first World war is celebrated. I wonder if there is any veteran left. People don't care, they are only interested in one more day off, which makes a long weekend.

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

1. I went over to Dominique to help her sorting out our photos from Tunisia and explained the function of Picasa, to crop, to lighten etc. This took us nearly the whole afternoon.



She also had bought two canaries, to replace the poor little grey birds, cat Arthur had scared to death and one probably landed in his stomac ! This time there is no worker in the house and Mr. G. will lock the door to the guest room where they spent their holidays when Dominique is away. She can't keep them in her house, because she closes all stores and put on her alarm.

2. What else to do on rainy days, I got a bunch of photos from my grandson Toby, which my son had sent me. I cropped them for a collage and made two.





Now I don't know which one to choose to put in a frame, I am not a photo frame fan, and don't like to put photos everywhere in the house, especially when people are still alive ! But of course our visitors want to see Toby, so he is an exception. Which one would you choose for a frame ?

3. It continued to rain therefore I thought I have to put some order in my papers and also in my wardrobe, because it's always a mess in there, after a few weeks. I can't keep my T-shirts, pullovers, etc in order for a long time !

4. Impossible to mow the lawn, because of the rain, it's now 10 days that we have cold weather and rain. As the sun comes out from time to time, the garden quickly becomes a jungle ! I needed to go out so I took the bus to Brussels, as I am retired I can ride for free, made a little tour in a store and a gallery, to escape the showers, and then returned back home. There was nothing special to buy, but at least I had done a little walk.

5. We had our last painting class, now we are on holidays until September on the contrary of "normal" students we are not happy at all, as we are on holidays the whole year !

After school I met an old friend I hadn't seen for a long time, we went together to Art School and we had lunch together.



Then I went to "my" Indian shop to buy my nightcream, and of course I couldn't resist to buy this necklace, which fits so nicely to my new blouse. I always tell me that I am doing  a good action as the money goes to an Indian village school. All excuses are good !