Blogless Thursday

WARNING: this is not a real blog post.




Tink over at My Mobile Adventures,
the one with the funny stars in her signature *~*~*
Tink thinks Thursdays
(ooohh, try pronouncing that ten times in a row! :-))
any way, she thinks Thursdays should be blogless.
You go by her blog, sign a Mr Linky,
put a comment with a silly reason
why you're not blogging today, and you're done!
Only today she's cheating.
She's doing two silly memes, so she's blogging anyway!
I decided to join the new movement and not blog today.
I will visit back all who left a comment anyway,
you know all you faithful readers, the ones who like me,
and want to say hi, even though I have not really blogged today?


I'm not blogging,
because I am meeting two blogfriends from Belgium,
and we're gonna talk about ... blogging all day!!!
There, I haven't blogged?
Or have I?


And if I include another picture, would that be blogging?
A post without a picture is not a real post to me.
But since this IS not a real post, I can do what I want, can I?
Right? Okay, you want it ... it's yours!




I guess I'm in the clear here, legally speaking I mean.
After all, it says at the top,
that this is not a real post,
so I guess that makes it all right, does it?


Oops!
This is my 255 th post on this blog.
But since this is not a real one,
please tell me, does it still count?

Wordless Wednesday Otters at the Zoo

Three words only: click to enlarge.


Visit the others at the home blog of Wordless Wednesday.

Ruby Tuesday The Pink House with the Red Door

This is going to be an unusually long post for Ruby Tuesday today,
because there are a couple of things I need to do and say today.
I'll start with the pictures of course!

This series of pictures will make at least one of my readers very happy.
This doorknob symbolizes to me just how small
our world has become in this Internet era.
You' ll see what I mean in a minute, allow me to tell you this amazing story.

I once took some pictures in Goult, posted them
on this blog, and somebody from the other side of the world
sends me an e mail saying she once rented a house in Goult.
She had blogged about it she said. I searched the post in her archives,
and to my great surprise saw the picture she published with that post.


Of course I knew that house, I had taken the photo below last year.
The "Deux Chevaux" in front of it made it so French
that I had not been able not resist the picture!

So this year, I went up to Goult again to take pictures
of "our" house, just like I promised to Evelyn.
This time there were two very unattractive cars
in front of the house ruining full view of the house.
I had to stick to some details for my pictures.
When I stepped past the cars to make the doorknob picture,
I found this ... "layabout" right there on the doorstep!





She just could not be bothered, she didn't move an inch.




She hardly blinked an eye ...

Both me and my husband were taking pictures in the end,
but even that did not disturb her in the slightest.

I think that this was a story worth sharing?
And Ruby Tuesday pictures to go along with it!


Next up is a meme, Mary the teach tagged me with.

the rules: All you have to do is Google your first name
with the word needs behind it and post the first 10 results.
Don't forget to tag people (if you are the tagging sort)!
I thought this one is fun doing so here we go ...

1. Jientje needs to get dressed.
2. The second one says that Skynet needs Jientje.
3. Jientje needs comments.
4. Jientje needs a meme.
5. Jientje needs to go all over Vegas with "poopy" hands!
6. Jientje needs to bring the wine to toast Nikki's birthday.
7. Jientje needs, nay demands answers!
8. Jientje needs to feel appreciated.
9. Jientje needs a break now.
10. Jientje needs a cat.

I already have a cat, thank you very much!
If I need a break, I'll get one, but since I don't have to
go to work for two weeks, I'm fine thank you!
No matter how much I love to travel,
and how much fun it would be to go to Vegas one day,
I don't think I'd want to do it with "poopy" hands!
I think I know what gave Mr Google that idea,
but I will leave that to somebody else!
And I'm not the demanding type either, so ...
Am I the tagging type? Well, that depends ...
I'll tag anyone who wants to be tagged for this meme,
AND the ones that are tagged below here,
so hang on to your hats!

But let me tell you, parts of it are true.
It's nice to get comments, and to feel appreciated.
Memes are fun to do, you get to meet so many new friends by doing them.
Why do you think I am doing this Ruby Tuesday meme in the first place?
Because I like pictures, and because I like people!

Speaking of friends ...
Mary the teach gave me this Blogging Friends Forever Gold Card.
And I am honoured to say the least!
It's so nice to feel appreciated, and it's so nice to meet friends,
both in real life and on the Internet.
And even though we may be worlds apart,
friendship does exist on the Internet!
So thank you Mary!!!

I'm going to pass it on right now,
but there are just a couple of rules I need to follow:

1. You have to tag 5 people.
2. 4 have to be dedicated followers of your blog
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog
and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

Okay, picking just five people really is the hard part for me,
there is always somebody who deserves it too
and gets to be the one being left out!
So please please please, don't be mad at me, I promise I'll pick you next time.

The four dedicated followers are not that hard.
They are the four readers I met doing Nablopomo,
their comments still make me smile, every time they drop by.
So ...
Christine
Alida
Eve
and SandyC.
My sweet sweet friends from the early days.
Big hug to you girls, come and pick up your gold card,
it's one from the heart!

As for the new dedicated reader, I'm proud to say
I have a couple of them,
and that makes it very hard to pick just one, for I love you all!
But I have awarded some of them only last week,
so that kind of narrows down the possibilities
After careful consideration ** gasp**
( this is SO hard, I am a Libra you know, ewww!)
... drum rolls ...
Tink, at my mobile adventures.
She lives in Florida, and shows the most awesome pictures
of Disney world, among other things!
I was in Disney world Florida a long time ago
and it feels like I'm visiting it all over again through her blog.



That's it from me today, this was hard work!!!
I hope you had fun!
Don't forget to visit the others at Mary's Work of the Poet

Fun Monday Words

This week's host for Fun Monday is Mothers of brothers,
and this is what she wants:

Words are our building blocks, our stepping stones, and, for many of us, our salvation. We string them together so quickly at times, we often lose sight of how precious they are. So tell us about your favorite word… or if you can’t pick just one, tell us about a few. Are there certain words that feel good the way they roll of your tongue? Do some words make you feel smart? Or silly? Or happy? Which words do you find yourself selecting to put in your posts? Since this response could be a short one, feel free to poll your family and friends and include some of their favorite words as well. If you think a definition is required, please share one. Please keep the words rated G for all audiences. Any language is acceptable, but please provide a translation. And stick to real words as opposed to ones made up along the way. We then challenge everyone to visit the posts on Monday and try to use other bloggers’ favorite words in your blog next week. We can’t wait to expand our vocabulary!

First let me tell you something about myself.
As some of you might already know,
I'm born, raised and living in Belgium
English is not my native speech.
It is Flemish, which is very similar to Dutch.
Similar but different, and I do want to point that out here.
We learn more than one language at school,
and I'm rather proud of the fact that we, humble Belgians,
can communicate with so many people.
I have always been fascinated by the English language myself,
and I started this blog to indeed try to expand my vocabulary,
improve on my writing and get the spelling right.
I know I probably still don't get everything right yet,
but every day I learn a little bit more.
Reading your blogs helps a lot , and I have my dictionaries close at hand.
I don't need them as much as I used to
but I prefer to look it up whenever I'm not sure.
Some of the early comments sure made me need them.
By now I know what "botched up bread" means,



and I know what dandelion puffballs look like,
all thanks to Christine and her lovely comments!

One of the favourite words I learned is "flabbergasted".



I came across it when I did Quilly's alphabet in pictures.
I read a chapter a day in both of my dictionaries
looking for a new word each day.
I illustrated each word with a picture,
then visited the other players,
thus learning new words there also.
There's a notepad in front of me, that's where I write them down.
Every once in a while I try to read them.
I really should write them down more though!


There are a couple more I like just because the sound of them.

" Ambisinistrous" = equally clumsy with either hand.
Well, I am sometimes, to be totally honest.
I can picture myself meeting one of you at a party and say,
"Hi, I'm Jientje and I'm ambisinistrous!"
while spilling my glass of champagne all over your rug
I'd have to drink a couple of them before I can pronounce it though!
And if I drink them, I can't spill them anymore, now can I?

I like beautiful words.
I want to learn to use more, and find new ones.
I don't think any of you will have learned something new here,
but I'm sure I will by visiting all of you.
Me and my notepad can't wait to meet them,
all those interesting, funny witty words ...


Make sure you visit the other Fun Monday players here.

"A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged,
it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly
in color and content according to the circumstances
and the time in which it is used."

Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Weekly Winners A Walk on the Wild Side

This week I want to take you with us ...


on a safari?


Careful, don't get to close to this one!

A dead animal in the river?
Creepy!



We could almost touch the giraffes.

Was it in Africa?

Well, you probably already guessed it.
It wasn't.
And that dead animal was a fake one.

I was in a zoo.




The one with the broken winged storks I showed you earlier this week, remember?


All kinds of animals,

but no elephants ...


except for these of course!


It's a stunningly beautiful park,


with all kinds of creatures, great and small.
Click on that last one to see it full size.
It's worth it!



For more Weekly Winners,
go over to Sarcastic Mom's .
She's the one who makes us do this,
each and every week!

Photo Hunt, Clouds

This week's Photo Hunt's theme is cloud(s).
Well, that shouldn't be so hard, plenty of clouds in Belgium!
It was hard to choose though,
but because I love reflections, it has to be this one ...



Visit the others at the home blog of Photo hunt,
or join us, it's fun!

Photo Story Friday, Broken Wings

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Check the rules for playing, by clicking on the picture.
Visit the other players by clicking on the links.
Click on the radio if you want to hear the music.

Discover Chris de Burgh!

These broken wings can take me no further,
I’m lost, and out at sea,
I thought these wings would hold me forever,
And on to eternity,
And far away I can hear your voice,
I can hear it in the silence of the morning,
But these broken wings have let me down,
They can’t even carry me home.


In broken dreams that keep me from sleeping,
I remember all the things I said,
Well I’ve broken all the promises,
I said I would be keeping,
They’re gone, like leaves they fell,
For it’s so hard when you’re far away,
All I needed was a shoulder I could cry on,
Now these broken dreams have woken me,
My love, will you carry me home.

Or will you treat me like some traveller,
On a dark and lonely road,
Who sees a light and a woman who will give him love,
Oh and just when she reaches the part,
When she’s supposed to comfort his broken heart,
She turns away, and sends him travelling on, on,


Oh when I left I believed that nothing would go wrong,
I thought the whole world would be waiting for my story,
Take me back, my love, I need you now,
Come back and carry me home,
Take me back and heal these broken wings,
Come back and carry me home.

Music and Lyrics by Chris de Burgh.
Pictures taken at the Planckendael Zoo, last Sunday.
The storks you see here all got injured and have broken their wings.
In the wild, they would not have a chance,
they would almost certainly die.
These are the lucky ones,
they have been saved, and can now spend the rest of their lives at the zoo.