Honest Scrap and other Awards ...

It looks like I'm popular these days.
I had a shower of awards being bestowed on me these last couple of weeks I could not believe!
I can never help thinking, "Who? Me?" when people give me one.
But at the same time it feels like winning an Oscar or something.
And it makes my day, I'll admit to that!

Anyway, this is the last one I got and it came from Suzanne, a new friend I met through blog 365 (after we finished!). The funny thing is we're both sorry we haven't met earlier!
She's a great writer with a great sense of humour and I like her a lot.
And apparently she likes me too! Thanks Suzanne!



But as always, accepting an award involves certain rules:
The rules for the Honest Scrap award:
The honorees are to:
A) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!
B) pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

Okay. I thought it would be a good idea to show you my true colours.

1. My eyes are green with hazel spots in them.
2. When my mood changes so does the colour of my eyes.
3. Over the years, I have dyed my hair in all kinds of colours, but the colour I have now is the closest I can get to my own colour.
4. I never go out without wearing make up.
5. Colour is very important in my life. Every room in the apartment has it's own colour scheme. The kitchen is yellow and blue for instance, and the bedroom is soft green and apricot with a touch of pink.
6. It has to be just right. I could not stand using a green pepper mill in my blue kitchen.
It can be natural wood or plexi, or metal, that does not matter, but if it comes in colour it should match with the rest.
7. My husband is colour blind! Now isn't that hilarious! He's hopeless with shirts and ties and matching socks. Greens are a nightmare for him, he just does not get it that all greens do NOT match together!
8. I am really really in love with the colour purple. It shows on this blog, doesn't it?
9. No matter how much I like purple I would never use it to decorate my home .
But I adore purple clothes!
10. I love red shoes. But not with purple trousers!

So there, ten little scraps of me.
Yeah, I know. I'm crazy, right?
Right!



Now, I will pass this award on to:
Melli: because I enjoy her daily scraps of life so much, even when she talks to a pumpkin!
Quilly often makes me smile, she has such a great sense of humour, and I like how she plays with words.
Tink from My Mobile Adventures. She lives in Florida and I love to see her pictures of Disney and Sanibel Island very much.
Kim from Frogpondsrock: Because the baby still has not arrived yet! Take courage girl!
Libby: Because she has become such a sweet friend since the day she delurked on this blog.
Gail from Gooselovingmamabear: Partner in crime um ... photography and the hostess
of Thru my eyes. Because I hope she gets well soon!
Robin from Around the Island: Lives in Israel. The war her country is involved in is a daily worry for her. Just wanted to say she's in my thoughts and prayers.


And then there is the award Christine from Chris' Coop gave to me about a week ago.


It's an award created by Rodger at Idaho Photo, and you really should read the story on this award here, it's a very funny story.
I got it for my "Art in Photography". Ahem. Who? Me?
Thanks Christine, you're such a great friend!

Now, I would like to pass it on to:

Mar
Terri
Paz
Lisa
Willow
and Secretagentmama
All of them are inspiring and amazing photographers who show me daily life in their corner of the world. It's always a pleasure dropping by their blogs.


And then there's this cute and fizzy Lemonade award I got from Gail.
It speaks of sweet sparkling friendship to me, and I would like to pass it on to:

Evelyn, from the Redbellfarm, because we share the love for Provence and France, and I would love to have a lemonade ( maybe we would prefer Pastis once we get there?) with her
at the Café de la Poste in Goult one day. Well,who knows huh, Evelyn?
Dragonstar, she lives in Ireland and I love Ireland so much. She has the cutest dragons living on her blog!
To Korie (Lilacspecs) who was my first English speaking blogger friend
and Gattina. They both live in Belgium too, so who knows, maybe we will drink that lemonade together one day?
And Jacki because I love how she has always something interesting and surprising to write about! And because she has the cutest family anyone could wish for.

And then there is this one, I got it from Korie /Lilacspecs ( a long long time ago, I know)
I want to pass it on to anyone who happens to read and enjoy this blog.
It's a big hug and a special thanks to all of my friends.
There are many, I know, and I'm grateful for it.



These are only a few of the awards I got in the past weeks, there are more. (?!)
It's been a while since I passed them on. That's because I have this double feeling about them.
I love getting one, I think it's a compliment being awarded. So I really love to give compliments to the people I love too. But you can never pass them on to everyone, it just would not be the same. That's why I save them until I have more than one, that way I can reward more than just a few at a time. And I can bend the rules a little as to how many I'm supposed to give, see?

People who did not get one today will get one next time, I really don't want to exclude anyone but this post is already getting very very long!
That's why I want to do another post with other awards from my archives in say, a week or two, okay?

Thanks for being my friends!!!

Oh yes, I almost forgot!!
My picture for today!
Thru my Eyes 2009


There...
Yours truly ...

Looking Back over my Schoulder ...

No wordless Wednesday from me today, but a very wordy one.

I got up early to write this, I wanted a clear head and enough time to write .
The rest of the day is going to be very busy, and writing does not always come easy to me.
The main reason I joined 365 was to create an incentive for myself to improve my English.

Today the lap around the sun is complete.
I have blogged this entire year, that's twelve months, 52 weeks, 365 days (plus one second!)
Each. and. every. day.

When this post is published later today I get to cross the 365 finish line.
I'm very proud to be one of the few who took the challenge and saw it through.
Nothing unexpected has happened in my life that would have prevented me from seeing it through, that too is something I am grateful for.
A lot can happen in a year, I've read the stories on other people's blogs, so ...

It seemed so far off one year ago.
But looking back it is as if this adventure started only yesterday.
Okay, two months ago sounds more likely.
What I never would have imagined is what I got out of it.

To me, blogging is writing a letter to a friend each day.
But I had no idea I would get so much friendship, so many friends.
There are the ones who have been visiting me from the very beginning,
the ones I met somewhere along the line who decided to stick with me,
and the new friends I met just recently.
Thank you all. I'm grateful for your friendship.
Thanks for visiting here, and for your kind comments.
Blogging would not be the same for me without the love and the comments.

Before this post gets any more boring than this,
what I want to add to this are my best wishes for the New Year.
May the New Year bring you good health and happiness.
And may many of your hopes and dreams for the new year come true for you.
I found this old Celtic blessing that says it far better than I can ...

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

Something I thought about ...

Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever.
Mahatma Ghandi.

This quote caught my attention yesterday.
It appeared in the widget on my sidebar, and it inspired me.
Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Now, I don't want to think about dying just yet,
I'm too eager to learn new things every day.

This past year has been all about that.
Through blogging I feel like I am exploring lots of new things.
English vocabulary and spelling...
New words ... I love new words.
I look them up, try to memorize them.
They often make me smile.
Cute ones, like the "words of the day" from this week
like "skedaddle" "flummadiddle"or "flammiganting around",
a funny expression Christine used yesterday.
Maybe I will never use them, maybe I will someday?

I'm challenging myself to learn how to take better pictures.
Each day I want to do better than the day before.
We teach each other little things like
how to make Christmas cards ... or pumpkin pie.
I discovered other people's traditions and ways.
Or what the rest of this world looks like?
This blog 365 challenge is coming to an end,
and it's been a wonderful experience.
I know that as long as I live, I will keep searching for knowledge.
I'm grateful for all the things I've learned,
but first and foremost for the friends that I've met.

But what I've learned most of all is,
that we all are just simple people.
That we all have our issues in our lives.
No matter where we live, we all deal with life itself.

I hope I'm not going to die tomorrow,
and if I was to live forever,
people would be the only thing really worth remembering ...

Number 326

This is post 326 on this blog.
If I add the Nablompomo posts I blogged on Ning last year,
this would mean that I have already published over 365 posts.

It's been a wonderful journey.
I've met all kinds of different people who shared slices of their lives.
There are all kinds of stories with one thing in common ... we're all humans.
We all have our happy moments and our worries.
So many things happen in a year, it's not just the change of seasons.
I've seen Father Christmas in a swimsuit, now that's an unusual idea for a European.
I've seen the damage of an ice storm, I had never heard of that before.
I've walked the streets of New York and minutes later I was in Waikiki Beach.
People moved from one place to another, building new lives in different homes.
Young mothers getting pregnant, others hoping to.
Their mothers becoming grandmothers, it's all part of life.
Some of my friends have overcome major health issues,
while others lost a family member or even a partner.
There is kid's stuff and the wonders of nature.
Well, aren't they both ... wonders of nature, I mean?
Cats and dogs, squirrels and deer.
Amazing skies .... or even caterpillars.


Blogging has made me look at myself and my own life sometimes.
It had me thinking "I'm so lucky".
And every now and again I think others are the lucky ones.
Anyhow.
I still don't want to miss it ....

One Year ago ...

One year ago, tomorrow to be exact,
I published my very first blog post on Nablopomo.
Yeah, I know, Nablopomo is supposed to happen in November,
but I couldn't wait! I was rather anxious to find out
if I would be able to pull it off. After all,
writing in a different language was a huge adventure to me.
Whether it was going to be a lonely journey,
or if maybe I'd find friends along the way
was still an unanswered question for me that day.
But I'm very, very happy to see
that friends I met in those early days are still my friends today.
And I've met many, many more since then.

So this is what I wrote a year ago ...



Well,
hi, or ... hello maybe?
I don't know where this adventure will take me,
but hey, does any adventurer know?
I doubt it, it just wouldn't be an adventure, wouldn't it?
If anybody reads this, please please please forgive me
my poor vocabulary or any mistakes you
(most likely) will find here.
English is not my every day language,
but I hope I will learn a lot this way...
You know, living in Europe,
born in Bruges and living near Antwerp,
I have a background, different from you all.
I'll try to tell you some stories,
or even paint you some scenes from my everyday life,
or things I have lived or seen ...




So yes, this is me.
Well, yeah, quite a long time ago ... but hey?

One day a stranger came up to my mothers house,
I took him to the garden,
looked at him with great confidence, and he took my picture....
My mother was inside the house,
probably cleaning, or preparing the next meal.
You know, the things mothers do,

.... when their daughter is out in the garden posing for a picture?

Wordless Wednesday Applause

For more Wordless Wednesday players, visit this site.

Ruby ruby ruby ruby ....

I usually fuel up for the day with a good piece of music,
and this is what I found today, looking for some Ruby inspiration...







To match this music, I'll share some of my very own Ruby moments
that happened to me this week, okay?


I was doing a photoshoot in the Antwerp City Dance Hall.

Making pictures of the elephants that are on exhibition there ...
When I had this craving for a glass of rosé wine.

My favourite waiter served it to me.
I asked permission to take pictures of this beautiful moment.


It was the most perfect ruby rosé wine I ever had ....
And I think this post is one of the better Ruby Tuesdays I ever did.
I love it when everything comes together like this ...
Perfect.
Sorry, I probably should not say so myself, but I can't help it!

Visit more Ruby Tuesday players at Work of the poet.

Just Wanted to Say ...

So much to do and only so many hours in a day ...
I'm sorry folks, I just don't feel much like blogging today,
so I'm just blogging this post,
... to say I'm not blogging ! Hehehehe!

Does that make sense?
No, I'm afraid it doesn't, but still ...

Too much stuff that still needs to get done around here, so ...

Oh well, it's contents, even though it sucks.
Sorry!

Quilly's ABC

I'm joining Quilly's ABC photo meme today, I think it's a great idea.
As some of you might know, I live in Belgium.
My native speech is Dutch, and by writing a post
on this blog every day ( I joined 365)
I'm trying to improve my writing and my spelling.
And I'm trying to learn a few new words every day, so ...
Taking pictures is one of my favourite hobbies,
what more would I want?


So, without further ado ...


F is for .... flabbergasted...
I like that word!



I think this one illustrates the word just about right?
It's my little nephew, he was counting his money!

Look for other ABC players here, it's fun!

I'm taking a day off ...

I am taking the day off ...
I want to visit all of you,
and catch up with some reading on all of your blogs for a change.

I will enjoy this lazy day ...
And maybe, just maybe ... I'll cheat a little
with a post like this every once and a while from now on!
Just trying to keep my sanity?
See you!


Oh, I will enjoy this !

No milk today ...

Today is the official "no blog today" one day off of blog 365.
I even received an e mail telling me not to blog!
But I decided to go against the rules and blog anyway!
Being told NOT to do something awakens the rebel in me ...
So there, ... my protest song!

I have changed the lyrics a little bit to make it mine ...

( Does it show that I'm a child of the sixties?
I mean, rebelling, protest songs, climbing fences?)
Oh and that music of course, that's a give away!!!

Artist : Hermits Herman's
Title : No Milk Today
-----------------
No post today, my words have gone away  
The blogger's left alone, an e mail sent at dawn  
No post today, it's not a common sight  
But bloggers passing by don't know the reason why

How could they know just what this message means  
The end of your hopes, the end of all my dreams  
How could they know the stories there had been  
Behind the door where my fridge reigned as queen 
No post today, it wasn't always so  
The company was gay, we'd turn night into day 

But all that's left is a place mute and lonely 
A lonely blog in a mean street back of town
Becomes a shrine when I think of you only
Just two down ... ten left! 

No pictures today, it wasn't always so  
The company was gay, we'd turn night into day  
as 365 reigned the faster did we write  
We signed in all at once, the start of our romance 

How could they know just what this message means 
The end of your hopes, the end of all your dreams
How could you know the stories there had been
About the fridge where my love hides the food

No blogging today, my words have gone away  
The fridge stands all alone, an e mail sent at dawn

But all that's left is a place dark and lonely
A lonely blog in a mean street back of town
Becomes a shrine when I think of you only
Just two down ... ten left! 

No feeds today, my reader has gone empty 
The blogroll stands for love, a symbol of good friends 
No posts today, it's not a common sight 
But people passing by don't know the reason why

How could they know just what this message means 
The end of my hopes, the end of all my dreams 
How could they know the stories there had been 
Behind the door where my fridge reigned as queen

No entry today, it wasn't always so  
The company was gay, we'd turn night into day

But all that's left is a place mute and lonely 
A lonely blog in a mean street back of town
Oh all that's left is a place dark and lonely
A lonely in a mean street back of town
Oh all that's left is a place dark and lonely
A lonely blog in a mean street back of town

I'm all out of words today ...

There are so many words,
but they don't seem to get in line today...
So many thoughts,
just slipping through my head.
Staring at the keyboard,
losing so much time.
Clicking,
clicking here,
clicking there...
and ending up with nothing...
I'm lost ...
And all out of words.
Unless I change my mind

that 'll be it for today...
Sorry...
I'd rather visit
all of you,
who dropped in
and left me
all of these comments...
Tomorrow will be
wordless...
That's a relief!
See you!

Meme time!!

I was tagged with this meme by Andie ....
Here we go!

This is the internet space at the hotel in Morocco


What is your blogging name?

Jientje. I explained why in one of my first posts on this blog.
It's a diminuative for Jane, sort of. You can think of me as Jeany, but call me Jientje?

My little sister Bientje and me, in the study at my appartement.

When did you start blogging, exact date?

I started blogging on Christmas day 2006. (On my Skynet Belgian blog that is.)
I don't think I was one of many that day!
I needed my sister's assistance to get me started, and that was not easy because we do not live across the street from each other anymore. A few minutes before midnight on Christmas day I wrote my very first post! Less than a year later I started my Heaveninbelgium blog on Blogspot.
It was towards the end of Nablopomo that I felt that I did not want to leave my English speaking friends! I used the Nablopomo platform to guide them to my new blog! And they followed me!
I'm very happy for that!

What was your first title?
My first title on that blog was " het kon niet uitblijven" wich means something like " It could not be stopped!"
On this blog it was "I finally did it ... now what?"

Which posting do you feel is the best post so far?
Now that we've found love what are we gonna do with it?
I wrote it when I had just joined 365. I think it's one of the most hilarious posts I have ever written! And everybody admitted it ... every word is true!
Most read according to the stats is "How to make lace".
And I like the meme with the J's too ...

My mom and dad, writing a new entry together.

Who is the source of inspiration for you to blog?
My little sister inspired me to start blogging, I had never heard of a blog before!

My little sister and me, at the hotel lobby in London.

When do you usually post entries ?
I usually write something in the evening the previous day, and edit / post them in the morning.

The hotel lobby in London again, my other sister Lena and me.

Where would you prefer to be when you are blogging?
On my couch with my cat purring next to me.

Have you met other bloggers? Who?
Not in this blogosphere. On my Skynet blog in Belgium I've met several friends already.
The tour at the cathedral I did recently was guided by one of my blogging friends.

My Belgian blogging friend Nana, the first blogger I met in real life.

How many entries you made in a month?
I have posted every day in 2007 on my Skynetblog, I did Nablopomo on the side.
And now I have this blog AND my Skynetblog. I post every day of the year, on both of them!
Yeah!!!! I know!

Would you reveal your face or your family in your blog?
I don't see why not?

This is where I blog.

Would you promote your friends to blog? Why?
No. It's not because I like to blog that everybody has to start blogging!
I prefer meeting new friends, in real life OR in the blogosphere.

Would you feel restless / guilty conscious, incomplete if you didn’t blog for a month?
Oh yes, I would! Although sometimes it's a little bit stressy to produce something entertaining or worth reading every day, it's also very stimulating, so...

Define blogging!
Writing a letter to all of your friends, every day.
Looking forward to read their letters, and receiving their comments.
Meeting new friends along the way...

I'm skipping the tagging bit today, but if anybody is interested, feel free to do one!
Let me know, I'll come and visit!

Tagged ..... again!!!!!!!!!!

I got tagged with a meme again!
I know, I still owe the one Korie tagged me with, at the beginning of Nablopomo!
Shhhhhhhh, I know, Nablopomo was in November, you're so right!!!!
But I didn't even know what a meme was back then!
I had never heard of them before and I already got tagged!
Perhaps I should not have brought this one up any more, but hey ...
I'm always much too honest, I know!
And then there's still the one Andie tagged me with, "seven things I approve of".
She said it would be easy, but it isn't, well at least I don't think it is.
(But I've found the right solution for that one, I think! I am going to tag myself with the one she has published today! It looks so much easier! I hope she approves??

The other one does not inspire me at all, I don't know where to start?
Seven things I approve of?
I looked it up ... the dictionary says, things that I consider good, fair, or right! Sigh!
I am a Libra!!! There is always something good, but then again, there might be some downside to it as well, and I do not approve of everything just like that, you know???
Any Libra's in the audience that can relate to that? How do I solve this? Can anyone help me?
... Sigh!!!
Anyway ...
Christine tagged me yesterday, and I decided to do this one RIGHT AWAY!
If you don't do them at once, you'll find your drawers stuffed with them!

Here’s how it works: Use the first letter of your name to answer each question. Must be places or names…Nothing made up. Can’t use your own name for boy/girl’s name question. If you can’t answer, skip to next one.

1. Famous Singer: That would be a John, or a Jim, or a Joan! Okay, I'll choose Joe ...
Joe Cocker!
I love his raw voice and his spastic moves.
Plus ... he's a real gentleman, you can always leave your hat on!

2. Four Letter Word: Jeez!!!!!

3. Street: Jezusstraat. It's in Antwerp.
One of the first streets I learned to find when I moved there.

4. Colour: Jaune de Joucas. Jaune de Joucas looks like this ...
It's a very special yellow-ish kind of colour.

LOL!!! It's not, I just made that up, but I lost so much time browsing through paint colour collections! Boss, Dulux ... you name them, I've seen them!
Even Martha Stewart's site!

None of their poetic colour names started with a J, so ... I had to use my own imagination.
I know it's against the rules, but I had to come up with something didn't I?
Of course I could also just have said Jade, but that's not nearly as interesting as Jaune de Joucas. Right? Right!

5. Gifts/Present: Just another cookbook!
(Hehehe, I'm getting the hang of this! Whoeahahaha!)

6. Vehicle: This one's easy. A Jeep. I guess if you have to cross a desert to get to work, or a battlefield for that matter, they can be very useful. But since we have none of the above in Belgium, a car like that looks ridiculous to me here.

7. Things in Souvenir Shop: Junk? Or ... "soon to be" junk?
I worked in a souvenir shop once in Bruges! We sold
Manneken Piss corkscrews and all that kind of stuff ...
FYI ... Manneken Piss is very famous in Belgium.
Maybe I should tell you a bit more about him someday ...

8. Boy Name: Jantje. It's like John, only a smaller, Belgian version.

9. Girl Name: Jientje!! Hehehe, I already explained that one earlier!
Shit!! That does not count huh? ( I just read the rules.. a little bit late huh?)
Okay ...
Ahhhmmm, Julie. Julie, we have Julie's over here too!
Julie and her mom shop at the cheese shop where I work every Wednesday afternoon.
Julie it is!

10. Movie title: Jaws. In fact, there are lots of movies named Jaws!
Jaws 1, Jaws 2, Jaws 3, Jaws 3D ... Need I go on?

11.Drink: Judas, it's a Belgian beer.

12. OCCUPATION: Jailor. My father was one. I looked it up...

• The work can be stressful and hazardous.
• Most correctional officers are employed in State and local government prisons and jails.
• Job opportunities are expected to be excellent.
  

13. Celebrity: John Mc Enroe. I used to love to see him get into an argument about the ball!

14. Magazine: Journal de la cuisine. French cuisine.

15. City: Juan les Pins. It's in France, at the côte d' azur. They have an very special event coming up, in the month of february, Pain... Amour et Chocolat.
Translated in English it just does not have that same "zing"! Bread, love and chocolate.

16. Sports: Jumping. I think that it's the only sport I can bare to watch for more than half an hour.

17. Fruit: Junior Pineapple. It's bigger than a baby pineapple, and smaller than a regular one!
Hehehe, clever huh?

18. Reason for Being Late to work: Just as I was leaving the appartment I remembered I still had to feed the cat!

19. Something that you throw away: Junk you bought in a souvenir shop in Belgium
Those Manneken Piss corkscrews perhaps?

20. Something you shout: Jeeeeeeeeeezus!! I did it!!! It's finished!!!


I am tagging .... Julie?
She is the one who gave me those beautiful flowers last week!
I want to take the opportunity to give them to Christine, Sandy and Eve as well!!
Thanks, you're such great friends!!

I'm so excited!

I am a blogger.
I was a blogger in Belgium way before I started blogging here.
I blogged in Dutch there, I still do as a matter of fact!

One day I read a comment in English on a Dutch blog, very unusual, so I followed the link.
It was Kories blog, Lilac specs in my blogroll.
At first I was just lurking, then I became one of her regular readers.
It fascinated me. I started to give some comments.
And then one day, she had a post on Nablopomo.
And I followed that link too. Yes, I know, I'm sooooo nosy!

And then I took the Nablopomo challenge and here I am!! Like it or not!
(Although I think you like it, or you would not be visiting here, right?)
Squishing my grey cells EVERY day, until they produce something worth publishing!
Did I ever think it would be easy? Nooooooooooooooo!
No, I didn't, but I thought it would be fun, and it is!

The atmosphere here is very different to what I'm used to in Belgium.
I don't know if I can ever begin to explain.
I have been exploring this blogosphere now for ... what? Three months?
And it feels like I'm making a cruise around the world.
But not from a tourist's perspective, oh no!
Visiting real people, you know ... people like you and me, in their every day way of living.
I share their sorrows and their pains sometimes, and we make fun together.

Making friends around the world like that is precious to me.
And then to discover that there are actually people out there who like to read my scribblings
is even more amazing to me!
But yesterday I got this award from Sandy...


And the following morning Christine gave me one too!
An award!!!! Two of them!
I have never been awarded before in my life!
Well, needless to say, that did make my day, I don't think you can believe how much this means to me!

Awwww!! I'm so excited!



If you want to know what that sounds like, just click on the radio!
Great huh?
I love it, I'm over the moon!
Thanks!

Now the rules are that I have to pass this on to ten more blogs that make my day.
That's a though one for me, I havn't been around all that long ...
My sign is Libra, can any of you imagine how difficult this is for me?
I'm the girl with the scales here, trying to do the right thing,
and not dissapoint anyone along the way, you know?
My first award is for Korie, after all, if it was not for her, I would never have started blogging in English, so there, she definetely made my day! I like reading her blog too, because she recently moved to Belgium and it's fun to read her view on my home country!
The second is for Alida, she was one of my very first friends on Nablopomo, and we have been keeping in touch ever since.
The third one I give to Astrid. She was also a friend from Nablopomo.
She lost her father in the month of December, that must have been so terrible.
That man was far too young, ... so sad ...
Big hug from me Astrid!
She started blogging again only yesterday, or the day before that, and I'm very glad she's back!
Number four is for the Belgian librarian Chando I also met on Nablopomo! A great blog!
Five, okay ... Kim, in my blogroll as Kim from Tasmania!
I just love the way the frogs rock in her pond overthere, and her "cheers" makes my day ... so,
Cheers Kim!
Six is for Chanpeng. She is an American living in Laos, she has great pictures and wonderful stories from a very different eastern culture.
I think she gets way too little comments for a blog as interesting as this one!
Seven is for another friend from Nablopomo, Andie Summerkiss!
She tagged me, but she still gets one! Keep going Andie!
Eight is for Julie. I find her amazing, she has lived all over the world as far as I can see.
She's currently living in Arizona, she will be moving to Alaska this summer, and she lived near Belgium too once, in Holland! It can't be easy, I admire her courage!
Nine is for Frances. She makes the most amazing pictures around her neighbourhood in ...
New York! She has like three or four blogs, I don't know how she does that, she's a blogjem!
And number ten is for all of you!! Yes, all of you who are my friends, all of you who come to visit me, every day, or just once, it does not matter! I love all of my readers, without all of you there just would not be ... a heaven in Belgium!

I would have given it to Christine, Sandy, and Eve too, but they already have one!
There is Melissa and Smiler, also very good friends of mine, but they are so popular that they will probably get about two dozen of those!
Anyway, like I said ... I love you all!

Fun Monday ...

What to blog about this week?
Well, there's that meme Andie tagged me with, I'm working on that one.
All those questions about the old post office in France Christine asked me about?
Okay, since there are so many of you who wnat to know more about it, I'll do a post on it too.
I'll go wordless on Wednesday again, I guess that leaves Friday still to cover!
You know the thing is, if I don't know what to write about a few days in advance I get nervous.
And when I get nervous my Muze leaves me, she can't stand that!
So, I'll try to focus real hard this week, and I hope she stays!
So what do I write about today, instead of talking all that rubbish here?
I decided to join Fun Monday.
It's a group on 365, and it's celebrating it's very first birthday today!
It is hosted by Vicky who hosted the very first Fun Monday last year!
Take a look at Lisa's blog too, she has great pictures today!
It's easy, just post a picture with the view from your frontdoor!
Piece of cake, exept... my frontdoor does not have a view, really...
Okay. So I'll cheat a little. The view from my backdoor is much more interesting.
Let's see....

This is the view from my kitchen.
And if I step outside, I see this ...
Yes, well, I know, it's raining again ....



There is the church, that's pretty obvious.
The shool is that little white and yellow building left of the church.
The flags you can see ont the first picture are from a big store selling office supplies and toys.
There's also a big parking lot, always people coming and going, I kind of like that.
But the most interesting feature from my backdoor is the old mill my neighbours live in.
It's that round towery building that has already appeared on my blog.




This picture was taken last spring.
And the pink sky I snapped a few weeks ago, very early in the morning.
It's one of my favourite pictures.



I've got this thing with mills, I love them.
It's nice to live so close to one now, and look at it's round walls every day.
Having to look at a dull, square appartment block every day just would not be the same.

My muze has left me

I am feeling totally and utterly uninspired.
My muze has left me.
She would not help me, even when I begged her, she just would not send me the right words.
She made me feel desperate, I tried reading other people's blogs to find inspiration,
I even visited this site, especially made for people like me being dumped by their muze.
I could not find her there neither, I searched and searched but I could not find her.
She wants us to separate, I'm quite sure .
She must have been very mad at me, why on earth would she leave me like that?
Could it be because of the pictures I've been posting?
Did she think I didn't need her anymore, you know, WordLESS Wednesdays?
Or was it that fridge post that freaked her out?
PMS? Monday blues?
Playing hard to get all of a sudden?
Turning her head away from me like that?


Cold as stone?

Fridge Friday!!!!!!!!! Tell me I'm dreaming, this is not happening!!!!

OMG!!!!
OK, I think we are ready for those men in white coats now!
I warned her this would happen, I did!
But at that time I would never have thought I would be in on it too!
I keep getting comments like OMG!!! This is so European!
Now let me tell you, this is soooooooooooo American, Australian ... I don't know I don't want to discriminate anyone but this is sooooo NOT European!
The contents of someone's refrigerator is almost as holy as the master bedroom!
Family members only!
Unless you grow mushrooms inside of them and you are featured in some kind of reality television " how clean is your house" Kim and Aggie program, you do not open your refrigerator in front of total strangers!
We have elephants with all the bare necessities, oh yes, we do!
Sooooooo European Korie commented!
Now how do you all expect me to show off my refrigerator to the whole Blogosphere world?
Come on, be real!!!
This is worse than stripping! Whhahaha, what am I saying, I never did that!!
Well, not in front of strangers anyway, but never mind!
What the hell am I doing?
They call me crazy as it is?




Okay, here it is! (Click on the radio button!)

Whahahahaa!

Maybe maybe come back? Maybe next week?
Can't get no satisfaction!!!!!!!!!

I love Lucy! ... And I loved your comments!

Oh, I'm having the time of my life here doing 365, meeting new people
and old friends from Nablopomo visiting my blog, and commenting on my posts!
You know, this is what keeps me going, and this is what encourages me the most
... the comments!
Now I would like to comment on .... some of the comments I got recently!
I had so much fun reading them I want to share it with all of you!

Remember the post with the picture of the bread in the oven?
I am aware of the fact, and yeah okay, I'll admit to it.
I was fishing for compliments when I posted this one,
so thanks to all of you sweet people telling me that
I am indeed a domestic godess,
... humbly bowing the head and all that, great!!!
Hmmmm, but the dust bunnies in my house are growing bigger too,
so now I am getting second thoughts on that first part of the title,
the domestic part ... !
Anyway, I loved it! Thanks!
And then Alida's comment brought back a very distant memory to me.
The I love Lucy shows, yes I remember those!
I got curious, went looking on You Tube, and I have found just the right one!
Great!!
So I have posted it here, now you can all enjoy it, it is hilarious!



The last comment was certainly the best one,
.... asking me if I had a BUN IN THE OVEN? Hehehehe, LOL!

Let me tell you ... you know at my age that would not be such a great idea!
I have celebrated my fiftieth birthday last October!
But perhaps you wanted to tell me I still look good huh?
Ewwww, thank you so much for that compliment, hehehehe!!!

A year in revue ... I love this one!

I have found this over at Cathi's blog
It's a New Year's meme.
Go through your archive and list your favorite/most popular post for each month in 2007.
That’s it!
Wauw! That's it!
A meme that does not involve half a mile of writing and witty text! Yay!
And a great way for all of your new readers to get to know you a little, I am all for it!

You know I started blogging in English when I joined Nablopomo in November,
my native language is Flemish, better known in the rest of the world as Dutch.
So, I'm pretty envious of people like all of you, who can come up with an unlimited vocabulary to write all of those witty, funny, bright, humourous, pleasant, penetrating sparkling, mind boggling topics !
( I used my dictionary on that on that one)

Yeah right!

Anyway, when I got in the right state of mind , and with a little bit of practise I have managed to produce a post or two that are worth reading, at least I think so?
Oh well, you'll be the judge of that one!
Now, let me see?
Yes, this one was written October 15th, my very first blog entry on my Nablopomo page.
This blog did not even exist back then. I rather liked that one.
A couple of days later I would be celebrating my fiftieth birthday, and I did Midlife rocks!
And then came November, Nablopomo month, how about this one?
A hilarious day of a blogger on Nablopomo, reading this reminds me how my next year is going to be like! Oh dear!
All this blogging on Nablo led to this ...
The birth of this blog, for real this time!
I got tagged with a Hoopla! OK, I didn't mind doing that one, it was fun!
Little did I know that few days later I would be receiving an e-mail ...
I did not want to give in to temptation, but I did anyway ...

So here I am now, tagging myself with memes I think are going to be very easy to do.
Yep! It's just that I have written this one three times now, I lost the whole damned thing twice!
It must be floating around somewhere in the blogosphere now, I don't know what the hell I did wrong! It must be the Good Lord punishing me again! Sorry God, I know I (must) have sinned!
Please forgive this poor illiterate blogger! Sob! Sob!

Now, where was I?
Oh yes, the tagging business, yeah, that 's the fun part!
I'm not too shy to tag someone today, I know everybody doing 365 needs a good meme!

Whahahaha, my first victim really deserves this, she's had it coming from day one!
She's the one who dragged me into this, and I'm really looking forward to reading what she considers to be her very best work! All right Sandy, consider yourself tagged, hehehehe!
Next up is a new friend whom I only just met, but I would love to read her best work too, so
here we go ... She writes in faith and she does it well, and her name happens to be Sandy too ...
that's why I tag her as well!

That's it from me today!
Jezus, I thought this was going to be ten sentences long, look at this!
I must have been very inspired today! Yay!