Friday's Fave Five

Friday's favourite five, time to reflect on the week that has passed.
It's going to be very hard picking only five again this week.
It's been a wonderful week.

1. The weather
As I write this I look outside and see another bright sunny morning.
It has been like this all week!
Now, if you lived in Belgium, you'd know that this IS something to be grateful for.

2.The Daffodils and Primulas are in bloom. I love their vibrant colours on my patio.
Buzzy busy bumble bees are gathering pollen from the Pussy Willow flowers.
I spotted the first ladybug of the season...
The Great Tits are trying to make up their mind about which nest to choose.
Wonderful wonderful Spring ...

(Click to enlarge)

3. Spring always seems to give me so much energy.
I painted my kitchen ceiling last week.
It involved a hell of a lot of work, but I'm very happy with it!

(click to enlarge)

4. On Tuesday I had a little St.-Patrick's day celebration of my own.
I went for a photo walk in Antwerp when I came across this pub.
There was a sign outside that said they had Irish Stew on the menu.
It was noon, and I was hungry, so I decided to try it.
There was a delightful ambiance with Irish music I enjoyed so much.
The lady of the house told me how her Irish grandmother used to peel potatoes so thinly the peels that came off were translucent.
The stew was delicious, and so was the dark velvety Guiness I had with it.

(click to enlarge)

5. The best news of the week was an invitation by a befriended blogger friend.
I'm sooooo looking forward to cook for them in that kitchen of hers!

A wonderful week ...

Visit Suzanne's place and read all about other people's Fave Fives!

Friday's Fave Five, a Rewarding Week

Friday again, time to reflect on the week that has passed.
Some of the best things happened to us this week, it's been a week of accomplishment.

1. My husband got an important promotion this week, and I'm very very happy for him.
He has put huge dedication into his work since the day he started working there about four years ago. We had suffered major set backs before -not through his fault though- and I always have had a huge admiration for the way he has dealt with it. The past years have not been easy for either of us, but all the hard work seems to pay off and starting Monday he's going to be able to do the kind of job he has aspired all his life. He has earned it, and I'm proud of him.

2. This blog and the things I learn through blogging. I started this blog to educate myself in English language. I have tried to raise the bar a little higher each day.
Like the barre in the ballet class I used to attend as a young girl, pushing my own boundaries and limitations. Reaching for a higher level, and the triumph of attaining it.
Yesterday's post was all about that. Your comments and support give me wings.

3. The Kreativ Blogger award.
Paz gave me one some time ago, and it's been gathering dust in my archives for some time until Libby bestowed me with it again yesterday.
Thanks girls, receiving an award really means a lot to me. It means that somehow in my own humble way, I make a difference to some people, and that's a wonderful feeling.



I am going to pass it on to some of the people who have made a difference to me in this blogosphere.
They have made me explore and push my limits, they are role models to me.

- Quilly: Her clever way with words has made me reach for dictionaries ever since I met her.
- Lisa: Her stunning (macro) photography has inspired me to try harder each week.
- Mary The Teach who has made me explore Photoshopping skills with her Sepia Scenes.
- Secretagentmama: Where great words and amazing photography go hand in hand.
- Louceel: He has me googling interesting things all the time when I'm reading his blog. I have a deep admiration for his writing skills.
- Lilacspecs. She's the one who dragged me into English blogging in the first place.
I know some of them don't care for awards, but I'm giving them anyway, as a way to say thank you. All of these people are role models to me, in photography as well as in writing.

4. A compliment for my hairdo.
New shoes ( Yay!!! a girl and her shoes huh? )
Some more weight loss ... It made me feel like a million dollars!

5. A new recipe I tried this week. It was a papillote of seafood and it was delicious!!
You can find the recipe here if you're interested.



(Click to enlarge the collage.)

It's been a great week as you can see.
A lot of happy moments to cherish.

Find more Fave Five's at Susanne's Living to tell the Story.

Fave Five

Time to reflect on the week that has passed and share five favourite things from it.


1.There was the return of the sparrows. I don't think I've seen it happen before, but they have been gone for a couple of weeks this year. It was probably a little bit too cold here.
I really really missed their quarrels at the birdfeeder. But they're back!


2. Had tea with a friend yesterday afternoon. It's nice to have someone dropping in in the middle of the afternoon and share the latest news and gossip!

3. My favourite TV program is back. It's the Belgian edition of "my restaurant", and I love watching it. Some of the participants have an awful lot to learn still. It will be interesting to watch their progress throughout the series.

4. The Hyacinth on my kitchen table. It was supposed to be a blue one according to the label,
but it turned out pink. I think I told you about that one last week didn't I? Well, here it is, as pink as pink can be! But it smells great!

5. A good night's sleep. I was wondering why on earth I was feeling so tired until I noticed it was WAY past midnight already!! I like to get up early in the morning, it's time to get the lights out!


Click here to find more Fave Five participants at Suzanne's blog.

Photo Hunt Thankful

This week's theme for Photo Hunt is "thankful"




I'm thankful for all the happy things, great and small, happy and sometimes sad ...
that have made my life what it is now.

Find more Photo Hunt players here

Fave Five Little Every Day Happy Stuff

Time to look back and reflect on the good things from the past week.

1. Home baked bread. I love to bake my own bread. It's been a while since I last baked one until last night, when I realized how I had missed it. It's aroma slowly spreading through the whole house while it's in the oven. The rustic look of it when I put it on my wooden cutting board.
That crunchy crust, and the taste of that first slice when you have hardly given it the time to cool down thoroughly... It needs nothing more.
Hmmm, unless ... some real butter, some marmalade or home made jam ... strawberry jam mmm yes! A hand cut thick slice of that bread, with some Parma ham, a little salad on the side and some mustard and pickled onions to go with it? I think it would be a great idea for lunch!
Eww, I must be hungry? Or seen to many Nigella Lawson cooking shows on television this week?

2. The days are definitely getting a lot longer now. The last day of February already today, now where has that month gone to? March will be on the calendar as of tomorrow.
Next week is the tenth week of the year, and for some reason, I don't know why that week has always been some sort of wake up call, when new energy starts to flow. I think I carry the genetic heritage of a hedgehog inside of me! Oh well, it could be worse!

3. Coffee. Yeah I KNOW I talked about coffee last week too, but that was about the first coffee in the morning, which is very different to the coffee I treat myself to some time in the afternoon.
That's when I make myself a little espresso. My latest treat is some foamed up milk to top it off.
I add some flavour to the milk, ( cinnamon, vanilla, sweetener, or that new orange - star anise sugar I bought yesterday) heat it in the micro wave and stir it with my aerolatte milk frother.
( You can find recipes through this link)
It works great to get a terrific low fat creamy layer on top of the coffee! Yum!


( You can click to enlarge this collage)


4. The new things I learn through blogging. I learn something new every day, and I love that.
Sometimes I have to Google stuff I don't quite understand, but that's what makes it interesting.
It can be fun! Having to Google stuff sometimes makes me feel stupid, but then I discover that I am not the only one to never have heard of "a dog and pony show" before.
But I'm afraid it will still take some time before I'll be able to participate in Quilly's Three Word Challenge though! Or do a Haiku, or a 100 word challenge ... **Sigh**
Still. I've come this far, and I'm grateful for what I learn each day.

5. I was feeling a little lonely yesterday, so what does a girl do? Yes, I went shopping at the mall! Not that I spent that much money, nor did I spend it on clothes.
I ended up in one of those shops for foodies like Oil and Vinegar, and a trendy tableware shop.
I KNOW I do not NEED more new plates, but I could not resist, besides, they were a steal!
Beautiful plates always inspire me to create a new recipe to use them for.



Mind you, these are just a few highlights of the week that has passed.
There was also that deliciously creamy Veal Goulash I made, the Blue Tits inspecting the nest on my patio, the blue Hyacinth I bought and it turns out to be pink, the first good lace design I have finished this week ( No, no pictures of that just yet, I'm building up some tension here!)

Find other people's Fave Five's at Suzanne's, on Living to tell the story.

Weekly Winners, Home and Homely ...

There were many great moments this week.

First signs of Spring.

Lounging ...

Cosy.

Reflections in a tea pot.

Breakfast

but not at Tiffany's.

Domed food.

Done.

And last, but not least...

Home is where the heart is ...

Find more Weekly Winners pictures at Lotus' blog, the homeblog of Weekly Winners.

Photo Hunt " Warm"

This week's theme for Photo Hunt is "warm".
When I started working on this post this morning, my initial idea was to upload a landscape from the Moroccan desert. It had been very warm when I took those, but when I saw the picture, I realized that was not what I was looking for. There are many more definitions of "warm" ...


(Click to enlarge the picture.)

1.	having or giving out a moderate degree of heat, as perceived by the senses: a warm bath.

2.	of or at a moderately high temperature; characterized by comparatively high temperature: a warm oven; a warm climate; a warm summer.

3.	having a sensation of bodily heat: to be warm from fast walking.

4.	conserving or maintaining warmth or heat: warm clothes.

5.	(of colors) suggestive of warmth; inclining toward red or orange rather than toward green or blue.

6.	characterized by or showing lively feelings, passions, emotions, sympathies, etc.: a warm heart; warm interest.

7.	strongly attached; intimate: warm friends.

8.	cordial or hearty: a warm welcome.

9.	heated, irritated, or angry: to become warm when contradicted.

10.	animated, lively, brisk, or vigorous: a warm debate.

11.	strong or fresh: a warm scent.

12.	close to something sought, as in a game.

13.	uncomfortable or unpleasant: His opponents made things so warm that he decided to quit.

14.	British Informal. well off; in easy circumstances.

–verb (used with object)

15.	to make warm; heat (often fol. by up): to warm one's hands; to warm up a room.

16.	to heat or cook (something) for reuse, as leftovers (usually fol. by over or up): to warm up yesterday's stew.

17.	to excite enthusiasm, ardor, cheerfulness, or vitality in (someone): The wine soon warmed the company.

18.	to inspire with kindly feeling; affect with lively pleasure: It warms my soul to hear you say that.

19.	to fill (a person, crowd, etc.) with strong feelings, as hatred, anger, or zeal: Restrictions had warmed the crew to the point of mutiny.

–verb (used without object)

20.	to become warm or warmer (often fol. by up): The room will warm up when the fire gets going.

21.	to become ardent, enthusiastic, animated, etc. (often fol. by up or to): The speaker quickly warmed to her subject.

22.	to grow kindly, friendly, or sympathetically disposed (often fol. by to or toward): My heart warms toward him.

–noun

23.	Informal. a warming: Sit by the fire and have a nice warm.

—Verb phrases

24.	warm down, to conclude or follow a period of strenuous physical exercise by walking or gentle stretching.

25.

warm up, a. to prepare for a game, sports contest, dance, etc., by moderate exercise or practice beforehand. b. to increase in excitement, intensity, violence, etc.: The racial situation was warming up. c. to become friendlier or more receptive: No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't warm up to that proposal. d. Radio and Television. to entertain (an audience) prior to a broadcast to increase receptiveness.

—Idiom

26.	warm the bench, Sports. to serve as a substitute who rarely plays in a game: The young outfielder warmed the bench for the Yankees last season.

Find more pictures with this theme here.

Fridays Fave Five, a Review of a Wonderful Week

It's time to look back on some of the favourite things from the past week again.
I love this meme, it's great to remember the good things in life.


1. I had my daughter over for supper last Friday evening.
The poor girl had been in a traffic jam for almost two hours just to get here, but it was worth it she said! I love it when she keeps me company in the kitchen while I cook.
I enjoyed every minute of it, even doing the dishes together is special to me...

2. The next day, my husband surprised me with my favourite perfume as a Valentine's day gift.
I had only a few drops left in my old bottle, and I was reluctant to use it. But now I can spoil myself again with a luxurious fragrant puff each morning ... Wonderful.

3. A champagne breakfast on Wednesday in a charming bed and breakfast hotel. Bacon and eggs, smoked salmon, fresh fruit salad, vanilla yoghurt, croissants crunchy baguettes ... It was all there, and everything was delicious.

( You can click to enlarge the image)


4. Snuggling up on the couch with the new book I bought. It turns out to be a very witty entertaining read. It's written by a Belgian biologist and it's based on Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory. A fascinating and very well written book.

5. And then last night we dined out again! A fun formula with small samples of food on tiny plates, tapa style. The tiny domed plates come rolling by ( like at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant) only it's not sushi but Basquish pinxtos. And you have to use your fingers to eat it.
Delicious and fun!


So there, those are just a few of last week's happy moments.
Go here to read more Fave Five posts.

Friday's Fave Five Week Three

It's Friday again, time to look back at the week that has passed and pick five favourite moments.
It was kind of a lame week, there was not much going on, in fact I was stuck inside the house all week. But even when you don't go out, there is still a lot to enjoy, so here we go.
(You can click on the image to enlarge it)

Today I'm sharing some of my favourite morning routines, okay?

1. Getting up early. The anticipation of the new day before me. Today I'm especially looking forward to see my daughter. She's coming for supper tonight and I'm going to spoil her with a delicious meal. It'll be great.

2. Checking emails FIRST thing in the morning.
Because of the time difference between me here in Europe and you people out there in the rest of the world, a lot of comments on my blog come in while I'm asleep.
So first thing I do, is to switch on my computer and look for my emails.

3. That first cup of coffee in the morning. After checking emails I return to the kitchen.
By now, the whole kitchen smells of fresh coffee. Even my cat loves that smell.

4. My purring cat on my lap while I'm having my morning coffee. She KNOWS she can sit with me for a while, so as soon as the coffee machine makes that distinct spluttering rattling noise, she starts meowing, urging me to sit down so she can sit on my lap.

5. Reading my paper. I haven't got time to read the whole paper, but quickly browsing through it and read a couple of headlines is also a favourite part of my morning routine.

So there ...
My fave Five for this week!
I'm very anxious to see what the others have posted!
Go over to Suzanne's for more Fave Five posts, or join us, it's fun!

Friday's Fave Five ... um ... Fave Six!

Friday's Fave Five is an open invitation to share favourite things from the past week.
I like that idea. There are so many nice things in our lives, but sometimes we tend to overlook them, or forget all about them. I'm used to taking lots and lots of pictures each day to document my daily life but sometimes even those fade into oblivion ...

Counting last week's blessings, I discovered that there were many more than five things that made my week. And that I did not get pictures of all of them?

My daughter came over after work last Friday. A glass of wine, a real old fashioned comfort food meal I cooked for her and a looooooooooooooong conversation over two pots of tea ...
THAT was the REAL highlight of the week!

The next morning I woke up to a beautiful sunshiny morning. Instant energy!
It was cold, but that bright sun inspired me to go outside and do some gardening on my patio.
I had to line my gardening gloves with woollen ones, but it felt great to be outside and tidy things up a little.



And while I was busy gardening, I was looking for the first signs of Spring.
That's me ... can't wait for Winter to be over, first signs of Spring always make my heart jump ...


And then one evening while I was blogging I looked outside and I saw the most amazing pink sunset. I hurried outside with my camera to capture it. For a brief moment there, I thought I was in Tasmania, my friend Kim seems to capture sunsets like this each week!
The next morning there was this equally stunning pink sunrise ...

Oh yes, in case you're wondering, I put the sunset pictures at the top of this collage and the bottom ones are from the next morning!


Blood oranges are in season right now, and they always seem like a special treat to me.
A memory from my childhood perhaps?
My father used to shape them like cupcakes when I was little, and so did I.
Somehow they seem to taste much better this way ...



And then last Wednesday I had a wonderful day out in Leuven with my hubs.
The weather gods were cooperating, we made a long long walk, and I took loads of pictures of this beautiful town ...


So there, my fave five , fave six to be exact!

Go here to read about other people's favourite five things.

History Seen Thru my Eyes

History was written yesterday, and I was watching it happen.


While he was being sworn in his wife Mishelle was right there with him.
And I do mean WITH him.
She never took her eyes off him.
The third picture shows the little word struggle he had there
- only for the briefest moment-
At precisely that same moment the look on her face became so similar to his,
as she wanted to try and help him. As if she reflected him.
Stand by your man ...


Don't you just love how his daughter was taking pictures with her own digital camera?
I did!

Even though I could not really be there in the flesh,
I saw it ... Thru my Eyes.
I did not google these pictures, or steal them from the net.
I took them with my own camera straight from the television screen as I was watching CNN.

Photo of the Day, a Date with my Daughter

I am posting this collage as my Photo of the Day.
This is my lovely daughter.
She did a wonderful job hosting the New Years party with our family last Sunday.
And today, I have a date with her.
So if you'll excuse us, today is "our" day.

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!

Sepia Scenes Sinterklaas

Do you remember the story of Sinterklaas I posted last Tuesday for Ruby Tuesday?
If you haven't read it yet, click this link and take a look. I'll wait!

Tuesdays post had my daughter in it, and this is me, age four.
I have tears in my eyes because I was scared to death of Sinterklaas.
I'll tell you what happened.
It was custom when I was little that Sinterklaas visited the homes
of the little ones in the street where I lived.
But Sinterklaas had been offered a drink in each of the neighbouring houses
and by the time he got to our house that man was drunk.
And so were his two assistants.

Sinterklaas asked if I had been good and my mother replied
that I did not always want to eat my soup. I hated soup when I was a kid.
There were two "Zwarte Pieten" (his black assistants)
and one of them threatened to wrap me in a newspaper,
tickle and tug at my toes when I was in bed at night
if I did not change my ways and eat my soup.
Now this may sound funny to a grown up, it scared the hell out of me.
I remember waking up screaming and having terrible nightmares after that.


Now this is not the drunk Sinterklaas, this picture was taken at a local store.
This Sinterklaas was very gentle, but as you can see ... I was terrified!


This picture is an original sepia.
I scanned it, and framed it with Photo Scape.


Go here to visit other Sepia Scenes participants.

Ruby Tuesday, the Story of Sinterklaas

I'm digging up some very old pictures today, to tell you the story of "Sinterklaas".
You may notice "Sinterklaas" sounds a little like Santa Claus,
and you're right, the two of them are related, well ... sort of.


December the sixth is a very special day for little children in Belgium.
That's when they celebrate Sinterklaas.
Sinterklaas is a saint who comes all the way from Spain each year,
to bring the little children toys and sweets.
On the night of the fifth he rides with his white horse
on the roofs of people's houses making sure
all of the toys and gifts are delivered on time,
throwing everything through the chimney, or so they say ...

One day I invited him to my house.



Here he comes ...

The scary part is not Sinterklaas himself, but his assistants.
His assistants are black, and they carry a huge bag.
And if you haven't been good, chances are they'll put you in it.
Or so they say ...

Sinterklaas will ask you if you've been good,
there's no cheating here, his helpers won't be fooled.
They will know if you've been up to something...
Or so they say ...

But if you HAVE been good, you get to sit on his lap and he gives you a present.



(The little girl on his lap is my daughter when she was three.)


This is my Ruby for this week, the story of Sinterklaas.
You might never have heard of him before, that's why I'm sharing this.
I had no idea what Thanksgiving was before I started blogging here, so ...

Please make sure to visit the other Ruby Tuesday participants
at Work of the poet.