SATURDAY CRITTERS WITH EILEEN

Eileen Saturday's Critters

  

"Centuries" ago Waterloo was a village with a lot of farmers around and of course a lot of animals too. 50 years later Waterloo has become a city, with more cars then cows, new apartment buildings, houses, shopping malls and a disappeared village. Old houses had been demolished, farmland sold for Golf courses, more houses and with that a lot of cars. As the average family has at least 2 to 5 cars, Waterloo is rather congested. Fortunately most of our time we have lived in the Village and behind our house we had as neighbors cows. One even came into our living room, when we didn't have a fence or hedge ! That was land life. 

The Lion of Waterloo (Belgium) 
 

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

The weather is always a good topic of conversation when nothing much is happening. This time I have to complain about the unusual heat. It's 30°C or more. So we hang around and complain about the heat. Some stay in our air-conditioned restaurant, and a few others and I prefer to sit under a tree in the shade with a little breeze.

Our air conditioner in the restaurant must be as old as the castle, it's noisy and the ventilation blows you away. After the last heat wave a month ago, everybody had a running nose and was coughing as an old cow. As I got a bronchitis for nearly a month, I prefer my tree and my room to the antique air condition. Monday passed by chatting together unfortunately the two men not older then me started their favorite chat theme .... wars ! We girls got fed up and I told them to stop to talk about things as if they had been soldiers but they weren't born or just 5 years old ! The Algerian war, the Japanese war etc etc, until I told them to move under another tree and discuss what they had done better. 

The next day I took my car in which it was nice and cool and drove a bit around, stopped at the pharmacy and passed by "our" house, but I didn't feel any regret, I found it very nice what the new owners had done. 

Then I visited a friend I had known through Facebook and who had lost her husband a few month ago. Her cat had had 3 kitten, I had seen them once shortly after birth but now two of them have found another home but she had kept little 6 months old Theo. He showed me that it was hot, I had to laugh when I saw him laying on the sofa. We chatted a bit and then I returned home.

 

The next day Jeanine and I wanted to go out and eat Mussels, which we did, they were excellent and so much that we had difficulties to finish our pot !

 

We calculated when we had been in this restaurant the last time and counting the Covid time, the diseases of our husbands the result was 6 years ! 

Maybe this was the start to a new "old" life ! 

 

The next day we went shopping, because on August 15 it's a bank holiday, because Mary, Jesus mother went to heaven according to the catholic church. People had a long weekend thanks to this event. 

 

We only had 28°C and suddenly I wanted to paint ! I had a bag ready with my colors and a canvas, I grabbed the bag and an empty water bottle and found the ideal place under a huge tree in the shade.

 

The result was not so good, but at least it was a start and then I can change it when it is dry.

 

Then we had our coffee and even watermelons and it was so nice that the staff from the kitchen had to call us in for supper ! 
 

 

 

 

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HODGEPODGE AUGUST 14

 1. August is National Golf month...do you play? Do you enjoy following golf? Have you ever been to a professional tournament? 

The only one who is a Golf fan, or was, was our cat Arthur ! He observed the ball, jumped, tried to catch the ball and when it fell in the whole he looked under the TV to find it. What did we do, we watched Golf or rather Arthur and laughed ! My son is a a Golf fan, he plays almost every day in the morning or when he has time. 

2. Astronaut Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame passed away this past Thursday. Are you interested in outer space and what's happening today in terms of space exploration? If space travel became common in your lifetime would you go? How do you personally relate to the idea of exploring something vast and mysterious...does the idea excite you, intimidate you, or something else? 

I believe we should first get our planet in order before we start digging around in the space. Why should I let myself be shot to the moon or Mars ? I haven't seen everything on my own planet yet. The money of the space "tourists" should be spent on cancer research and other "incurable" diseases; that would at least be useful. 

3. Describe your communication style in three words. 

Expressive, descriptive, humorous

4. Do you have a favorite cookbook? A favorite celebrity chef? Do you watch any cooking shows on TV? 

No I never looked into a cookbook,  I wanted to invent or recreate everything myself without looking in a book. I sometimes watched TV shows just to get new ideas. Now since at least 5 years I don't cook anymore. 

5. As a child did you have any back to school traditions? If so, did you carry on those same traditions with your own children? Do you have any back to school traditions you've started on your own? 

To sweeten this important day, in Germany, First Graders get a special treat on their first day of school: a Schultüte, a colorful and elaborately decorated cone which is prepared by a students’ parents  or bought filled with goodies such as small school supplies (like pens, pencil cases, erasers, etc.) , toys and candy. 

These bundles of gifts evoke excitement in students during one of the most important days of their childhood – the day that school begins. 

My first school day 1949

As kids make their way to their new classrooms, they proudly carry their Schultüten (school cone) with them. This German tradition originated in the early 1800s in the cities of Jena, Dresden and Leipzig.

Austria, Switzerland (the German speaking part) and the Czech Republic have adopted this fun back-to-school tradition.

As in Belgium this tradition is not known, my son didn't get the cone on his first school day, but later from his Grandparents in Germany. He didn't care, he was only interested in the content of the cone !  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

As it is unusually hot here over 30°C, I have no thoughts my head is empty, I just rest and my brain wonders when I can complain again about the rainy cold weather. My poor son with wife, son and dog are in France on holidays and they have 41°C ! Fortunately the holiday apartment they rented is air conditioned ! 

 

Son and Grandson

Grandson