LAST WEEKEND IN 2018

When I think that we will enter 2019 and that it is already 18 years ago that from one day to another I went into another century ! The last person I know who had this chance was my grandma. She was 6 years old when from 1899 she arrived into 1900 ! And then me. Both of us if I think had a lot of changes and inventions in our lives. She unfortunately had to go through two WW, while I was lucky, I was born in the century of inventions. From washing machines to bread baking machines, from travelling in trains and then being able to buy a private car which only had been possible for rich people.

What is new in this 21 century is that we are not going "back to the future" as in the movie but far more to the past. We want to grow our own vegetables again, only eat organic or bio, and after having been forced to use plastic for all kind of things, now we are told that it is not good and spoils the environment.

This last weekend 2018, was grey and humid and foggy in the morning. The market in Waterloo had only a few stalls the others didn't even come. It was the same in the next little town where a lot of stalls were missing too. The boutiques were closed, although they had a special permission to open on this last Sunday, but anyway nobody would go shopping because Sales start on January 2, and of course nobody wants to buy anything for the full price if 2 days later they can get the same thing for half.

We were all hanging around and rather lazy finally Nicole had the good idea to hang around together and called two other friends so we were four to share a good fruitcake and coffee. For all of us the year had been rather good, except for two who had some health problems. But there were no family problems.

On Sunday I thought the sun would come out and went to the market but as there were only fruits and vegetables for sale and nothing else I returned home after half an hour.

The rest of the day I spent with phone calls to wish a happy New Year to those who live far away or I haven't seen for a while. For some the year had been very bad for others good.

Now I will see what this year brings !



The market wet and empty !

To all of you

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

I have to look at my calender to know which day we are ! With Monday being already a Sunday or nearly, everybody is a little disturbed.

In the last minute my son had asked me if on Christmas day his friend and family could come to us and of course I agreed ! It is his best friend and now his little son also 8 years old became best friend with Toby.



Now I  had to run to buy some cake, and fortunately I thought about the English shop very close to us, where I could buy very good English cakes, except a Christmas Pudding which was sold out. The shelves were empty all Christmas things had been sold. But I found a Fudge cake and Apple cake etc and it was enough.

The friend's wife is English, so I thought it brings a bit of home to her.

We celebrate the German way (and also the Royals in the UK) on Christmas Eve.



Listening to Christmas music, looking at all the parcels and boxes under the tree and the open fire, while we had a glass of Champagne. Toby too had Champagne for kids, called "Kiddie bubbles" which he liked so much that he almost emptied the whole bottle before we even started !



Toby checks if there is no gift left ! and then the gifts were distributed. The one who got a gift, had to pick up another one to give it to this person and so on. Of course Toby started.



I think what he liked the most was the scarf of his beloved Football (soccer) team which I had found here with some difficulties and from his parents he had got the matching T-Shirt. That was perfect. Of course the other gifts he liked too, but there is always one which is a favorite.



He had put all his gifts on the sofa and stated that Father Christmas had brought him much more then to the other once. We comforted him, saying that Father Christmas job is for the children and not that much for adults.



The rest of the evening we spent playing a very funny game, you wore a card with an object written on it and you had to find out what it was. It was so much fun that my belly hurt so much I laughed.

The next day son and family came earlier, he had bought a lot of different things for a buffet. He put everything on the table and I added my cakes, the coffee and the cutlery and dishes.



The drinks were standing outside, as it was probably colder outside then in my fridge !



And then they all arrived and we started eating, drinking chatting and at the end another funny game which we played together. The "United colors of  Benetton" as I call Toby and Benji played and had a lot of fun and we too. Before they went away, everything was cleaned up, little Benji just put a broom away when I came back from my room. It was as if nobody had ever been there. I was really touched, I had nothing to do anymore, then going to bed !

On Wednesday they arrived late morning for a cup of coffee before returning to Amsterdam.



And my DIL took a photo of the three of us and Toby said good bye to Arthur and we waved when they went away.

I was hanging on my sofa almost the whole day to recover from I don't know what, because I can't say that I was overworked ! But a movie cure on TV was nice too. I also had some phone calls to do !

The next day I had invited my friends for a coffee and cake, so that we could could chat to our heart contents about our Christmas celebration.



Everybody had a nice family celebration without catastrophes, not even a few broken plates or glasses. It had been a nice afternoon.



Of course Sir Arthur didn't leave us girls alone, he went from leg to leg and was so happy about the company ! But he didn't play with the angels one had offered him to play ! Anyway he was a good entertainer, because he played with a garland hanging from my plant !

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.