15 Nov 2013

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE



more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. Sometimes it happens, you just have an idea and wonder why you hadn't this idea years before ? Since 2006 I had created a little office space in my room, just at the end of my bed.



Mr. G had found a little table which just had the same size as the bed and so we squeezed it between bed and wardrobe with a chair. In this corner it was rather dark and at rainy days I had to switch on the light. Now that the days are shorter and it's always grey outside, I had the light on almost the whole day.

2. Overnight I had an idea and with the help of Mr. G. we moved my little desk just under the window, and fought with the Computer cables which were all entangled and mixed up and we first had to find out which cable was for what. At the end we found 2 useless cable connections and USB keys which we didn't know for what they were. Once everything put up and looking nice, I suddenly couldn't type anymore. That was the wireless keyboard USB key which we had found. Then the same happened with the mouse. Unfortunately I can't describe the (Italian style) show we made during these operations. I suppose our neighbors thought we would kill each other.



But now I am very happy. I have light, I can watch what is going on in the street and my legs are warm because I sit against the radiator ! So why took it 7 years to have this idea ? So far the street is rather empty besides the garbage men who emptied the bins, unfortunately without any corpse in them.

3. When for once the sun was shining Nicole asked me if I would go with her to walk Charlie her dog. Of course I agreed, some fresh air is always good.



Another friend joined in with her little Bichon Kiwi, and the two had a lot of fun together despite the size difference. We were dressed like Eskimos as it was rather cold and had a hot cup of tea to warm us up afterwards.

4. 



The flowers in our front yard were still in full bloom but I took the opportunity when the sun came out again and took them all out of the pots, which I only did reluctantly, but I thought if I don't do it know and it will freeze the next day then it will be even more difficult. With gloves and a warm jacket I worked for two hours



And this is the result ! I replaced the flowers with fake plants and fixed the balls with a hook in the pots. Now that will last at least until spring and then I can put them away for the next winter. At least I have no more garden work to do !



In my painting class I finished a new picture. I started with soft colors and this was the result !

14 Nov 2013

Z IS REALLY THE END

Jenny Matlock
more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

Due to my vintage age or sun burnt brain, I skipped one letter and therefore was at the end of this meme already last week.(see here).

In the hope there would be another letter after Z, I learned thanks to Wikipedia that  Z is the twenty-sixth and final letter of the ISO basic Latin alphabet. Of course I didn't know what ISO meant. Certainly not the male version of the name Isa. I googled and found out that ISO stands for "International Organization for Standardization". I tell you Blogging improves your general knowledge and maybe in a few years I will be named Mrs. Wikipedia.

I also learned that in earlier times, the English alphabets used by children terminated not with Z but with & or related typographic symbols.  In her 1859 novel Adam Bede, George Eliot refers to Z being followed by & when her character Jacob Storey says, "He thought it [Z] had only been put to finish off th' alphabet like; though ampusand would ha' done as well, for what he could see.

Please don't ask me who George Eliot is, I give up !

This is the end of round "?" and therefore it ends with the letter Z !

z z z z z

PS. I found George Eliot in Wikipedia (I am too curious not to know)

13 Nov 2013

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

more participants here






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12 Nov 2013

OUR WORLD - ARLES, France



Arles is a city and commune in the south of France. A large part of the Camargue is located on the territory of the commune, making it the largest commune in Metropolitan France in terms of territory.

The city has a long history, and was of considerable importance in the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis. The Roman and Romanesque Monuments of Arles were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1981. The Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles in

1888–1889 and produced over 300 paintings and drawings during his time there. Read more here ......

11 Nov 2013

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.