tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61947966597439843302012-01-07T10:11:13.655+01:00Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.comBlogger1121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-40312654813260494322011-10-23T21:28:00.001+02:002011-10-23T21:31:20.267+02:00

Cosplay means you make a costume and dress up like your favorite character (movie,comic,anime,...). Nathalie likes that a lot and started two years ago with this Ten Ten (from 'Naruto'). Now THE place to be when you cosplay in Belgium is the annual F.A.C.T.S. convention (the biggest Comics, Sci Fi and Anime festival in the Benelux). So imagine you are 14 years old and you BEGGED your big

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-7155872230873785822011-06-28T21:36:00.001+02:002011-06-28T22:34:51.213+02:00

When one day it's 15°C/59°F and the next it's 33°C/91°C this is what you get : I am so happy the leak in the kitchen roof was fixed yesterday! There will be storms all night and tomorrow will be about 20°C/68°F again which is much better when you have to sleep in a house without air conditioning. I'm getting so tired of this extreme weather changes, even the plants in the garden look stressed

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-83366481311508063062011-06-19T16:31:00.000+02:002011-06-19T16:31:48.160+02:00

The rains came back with wind and thunderstorms.  Everything started to grow like crazy, including the weeds and I'm thinking of writing a book about weeds.  But a book take's time, so in the mean while I'll do a series of 'wonderful weeds' on this blog. The first one : FIREWEED (Epilobium angustifolium or Chamerion angustifolium), also called great willowherb or rosebay willowherb and the dutch

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-50361864001044377112011-06-05T15:15:00.003+02:002011-06-07T19:14:36.496+02:00

I've been really neglecting blogger for the past 2 months. To my defense I have to say it took us some time to find our balance back. Our lifes now look like this : chemo, a bad week, a better week, and chemo again. Next week they will do a new scan to find out if it worked. Outside Spring passed with more sun, higher temperatures and less rain then ever before. I couldn't keep up with watering

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-85807889675266815892011-03-28T21:26:00.000+02:002011-03-28T21:26:21.079+02:00

JP is in the hospital. What started in December with a lung infection and copd now turned out to be esophageal cancer. But the good thing is it hasn't spread to other organs so we have hope.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-36529652694497339412011-03-12T21:43:00.002+01:002011-03-12T21:54:55.624+01:00

Winter blues and a very sick husband kept me away from blogland for a while.  I didn't take any pictures for at least a month. But today the sun was shining so brightly that I finally went for a walk.  We are having an early Spring this year but I was surprised to find so many flowers already! Snowdrops in front of our town hall Lesser celandine Crocus Primula Viola Odorata Looking

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-89915926853561019112010-12-25T17:19:00.001+01:002010-12-25T17:21:42.662+01:00

Never ever in my lifetime did we have this amount of snow and we do not yet see the end of it. Good thing is it happened during Christmas holidays. My car is not prepared for these streets (there's no more salt left so the streets are very slippery). On top of that both of my children have the flue... Somewhere underneath this whiteness are the stairs to our front door! Now where is my ball?

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-66052135299791051552010-12-20T14:35:00.000+01:002010-12-20T14:35:18.163+01:00

Winter has not even started and we already had more snow-days then in an average year! Another 10cm/4inches was added yesterday. Global warming ?!  

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-4132807095417315372010-12-17T14:53:00.000+01:002010-12-17T14:53:36.299+01:00

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-8168057816333730282010-12-03T20:22:00.000+01:002010-12-03T20:22:22.274+01:00

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-18629081921341389442010-11-30T14:05:00.001+01:002010-11-30T14:58:44.468+01:00

We are having an early cold-wave. Temperature stays below 0°C/32°F all week and it's snowing. This early cold happened to us only twice in the passed 100 years! Someone is VERY happy with this weather... I've got white stuff on my nose  Let's do it again  Exhausted!

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-16445428591830864462010-11-10T09:22:00.003+01:002010-11-10T11:54:57.272+01:00

Almost a hunderd years have passed, but you can still find signs of the Great War in Flanders Fields. Since 1928 the Last Post ceremony has been played every evening at precisely 2000 hours under the 'Menenpoort' (Menin Gate Memorial) in Ieper (Ypres), Belgium, where the names of 54896 missing are carved. This daily tribute is performed by the Buglers of the Last Post Association to sound their

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-85020682229903953302010-10-04T20:15:00.001+02:002010-10-04T20:24:03.213+02:00

We had a brilliant, warm fall day yesterday. Perfect for a day out, so we went to visit the Japanese Gardens in Hasselt, a city about 45km/28 miles east of Louvain.  These gardens were constructed in 1992 and I've never seen them! With a surface of 25000 m² (2,5 ha/ about 6.17 acres) the Hasselt Japanese Garden is the largest of its kind in Europe. It was a wonderful day with the beautiful

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-18909533857598701242010-09-10T21:28:00.000+02:002010-09-10T21:28:58.351+02:00

2010 has been declared the 'International Year of Biodiversity'. Wandering Sheep play a significant role in ensuring the dispersal of seeds and small animals through their fur and paws.  To bring this to the attention and contribute to biodiversity across borders, on the 5th of June, European shepherds and their sheep departed from Berlin for a trek through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-74210255641807078902010-08-29T14:16:00.000+02:002010-08-29T14:16:10.674+02:00

It's supposed to be Summer but we tumbled right in to Fall. Lots of rain and wind and the temperature hardly reaches 19°C/66°F.  Time to look for coats and boots and go picture hunting and berry picking!

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-85483490947436613842010-08-25T01:00:00.002+02:002010-08-25T01:00:01.932+02:00

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-64334283582667377552010-08-19T01:00:00.099+02:002010-08-19T01:00:02.246+02:00

Cara from Blogtrotting featured me to do a post on Belgium today.  I have to thank Mountain Woman from 'Red Pine Mountain' for this, because she introduced me to blogtrotting. Blogtrotting is about traveling all around the world by reading blogs. So here we go! Belgium is a country with a rich history and 3 native languages : Dutch or Flemish in the north, French or Walloon in the south and a

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-50622316924665127452010-08-18T01:00:00.003+02:002010-08-18T01:00:02.755+02:00

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-59544554611190914212010-08-13T21:31:00.002+02:002010-08-14T13:06:31.915+02:00

August brought us 'Belgian Summer', meaning lots of rain and temperatures around 22°C/71°F. There's some fall in the air and nature is giving abundance. I picked about 2kg/4.4lbs of rowan berries to make jelly. Isn't this the most wonderful tree, it's obvious rowan (or sorbus or mountain ash) is of the family of Rosaceae. Many people think these berries or only bird-food, and it's true that

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-30582948315257566292010-07-31T18:03:00.001+02:002010-10-04T20:15:27.059+02:00

We took an early train yesterday to Oostende at the Belgian coast.  The first thing you see coming out of the railway station is the harbor. The big ship with the yellow masts in the back is the 'Mercator'. This sailing ship was used for training navy officers and it sailed the seven seas. In 1936 she brought home from Molokai, Hawaii, the remains of Father Damien. Since 1961 it has been

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-60359031096803995652010-07-22T17:50:00.001+02:002010-07-22T17:59:36.427+02:00

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-44418602711221563322010-07-15T14:51:00.000+02:002010-07-15T14:51:12.317+02:00

We asked for rain and we got it! A big storm came over the country. Yesterday afternoon the sky turned black and all the rain we wanted came out at once. Roads were flooded and covered with branches and fallen trees. When we came home the hall was soaked and the laundry was flown of the line in the mud. I lost some tomatoes and peppers in the garden but some people lost their roof. To see how it

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-36499835435849321902010-07-12T16:29:00.000+02:002010-07-12T16:29:57.605+02:00

A DRY Lawn  Strange Creature in the Kitchen   Something is Coming... We've got (a little bit of) RAIN!!!

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-82941476471321966312010-07-09T19:07:00.001+02:002010-07-09T19:31:47.072+02:00

Our country (Belgium) is suffering under a heatwave with temp above 30°C/86°F and it's incredible dry.  We are not used to this, so we have no air conditioning, almost no one has sprinklers and farmers don't irrigate - it's never necessary.  This means lawns are starting to look like desserts, it's very difficult to keep the garden alive, meadows are so dry that farmers have to keep their cattle

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-77045181223364671012010-06-25T13:42:00.000+02:002010-06-25T13:42:07.279+02:00

Won't you join us? Welcome old and new readers. Here's my contribution (from Belgium) to the sorority rush party. Thank you Karen for all the time and effort you spend to give us all this fun !!!

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-19883224245545205822010-06-15T20:20:00.000+02:002010-06-15T20:20:19.055+02:00

There's a part of Louvain that I wanted to show you for a while.  So this morning I took a walk in this place of beauty to take some pictures.  Imagine you are here with me, hear nothing but the sound of birds, the smell of coffee is coming true an open window... may I present to you : the Great Béguinage of Louvain. This béguinage originated in the early 13th century and has the appearance of

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-80843751215375309712010-06-02T11:14:00.001+02:002010-06-02T11:15:13.499+02:00

Don't you think we have a special something between all of us? Won't you join us? CLICK THE BUTTON! Your rushing preparation will take place between now and  June 25th.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-41166464406833012752010-05-31T14:49:00.000+02:002010-05-31T14:49:05.640+02:00

I finally know what is wrong with my finger.  The tendon that goes over the upside of the finger has split.  So when I bow the finger, one part of the tendon goes to the left and the other goes to the right of the knuckle.  To get it straight again and make the tendon grow together I have to wear this strange 'decoration' for 6 (SIX!) weeks.  Then they will decide if an operation is necessary...

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-15645253469297175592010-05-27T21:22:00.001+02:002010-05-27T21:23:13.623+02:00

We have flowering tomatoes Lettuce (almost) Strawberries flowering Peas and little green Raspberries

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-54918380769883001352010-05-23T23:10:00.000+02:002010-05-23T23:10:59.333+02:00

In one week time, we went from Winter (8°C/46°F) to Summer (24°C/75°F). All of a sudden everything is growing very fast. Including children. Nathalie turned 13 today !!! *** Happy Birthday ***

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-20912138051202679152010-05-17T15:19:00.002+02:002010-05-17T17:48:54.385+02:00

I have taken it slow on blogging (amongst other things) this month.  In the past few weeks I had two dentist appointments. They had to extract a wisdom tooth and remove the dental nerve from another one.  My teeth are in a bad condition because of too much antibiotics when I was a little child.  It was a new, magical cure back then and doctors didn't know the problems they caused... And then

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-85813939315550907912010-04-19T10:36:00.001+02:002010-04-19T10:38:43.267+02:00

Noticed the blue sky, no airplane tracks at all (Thank you volcano in Iceland that caused the closure of airspace!) Of course you don't hear (or smell) the near highway...

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-88370540870954815312010-04-15T21:57:00.000+02:002010-04-15T21:57:01.301+02:00

There's still too much cold wind but we had a clear blue sky today with lots of sunshine. Rhubarb is growing fast now The Martin's are back from the south! A perfect day to take a sunbath on a red currant leaf Trees are blooming And the first butterflies present their beauty. I think this tiny one in the Cypress tree is called a 'Holly Blue'. Enjoy!

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-48269261086314293252010-04-14T14:44:00.000+02:002010-04-14T14:44:24.467+02:00

I have planted potatoes and onions and shallots, most of the 'April' seeds are done (carrots, spinach, peas,..), but what I love most are the tomatoes. I have more of them year after year, this is this year's list : - Oregon Spring - Flame Hillbilly - Japanese Black Trifele - Siberian Superior - Tangella (an orange 'Ailsa Craig') - Paul Robeson - Brandywine OTV - Cherokee Purple - Bud's Beauty

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-77852951232123391842010-03-18T20:35:00.000+01:002010-03-18T20:35:33.038+01:00

It finally happened ! We have spring weather.  In only a few days the grass turned green and flowers are popping up everywhere! So on Tuesday I took our sweet little dog for a long walk.  How could I know the hares were having a spring party in the field? Labradors love hunting, so as soon as the first hare appeared, Benji took off full speed, forgetting I was on the other end of the leash... It

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-78941633752655354062010-03-11T20:39:00.001+01:002010-03-11T20:43:04.028+01:00

I have my new Camera ! I am so HAPPY !!! This is my little one, that I used until now, a Kodak Easyshare. It served me well for a few years, but the longing for better stayed... And this beauty is my new Canon Eos 1000D (yes Karen, it's the same as the Rebel you have and I've read your blogpost again to learn the beginning !) And this is the first picture from my new baby (I know, it will

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-3904094123639337132010-03-02T15:06:00.000+01:002010-03-02T15:06:13.839+01:00

BLUE sky today and SUNSHINE !!! Can't remember how long it has been since we had such a beautiful day. And look at these beauties OK, I admit, I bought these in the garden center, just couldn't resist them and we desperately needed some color ! But these are growing now for real

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-38726154272228037752010-02-24T12:19:00.000+01:002010-02-24T12:19:17.444+01:00

Temperature went up to 7°C/45°F this morning so I decided to go for a long walk ! There's still a lot of mud but who cares, we had a lot of fun The farmers have started preparing the fields but no flowers yet so I had to look for something else alive ALMOST SPRING !!! 

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-89809736127606261712010-02-07T11:58:00.000+01:002010-02-07T11:58:53.342+01:00

Yesterday was my aunt's funeral.  I know, at her age (87) we could have expected it, but after being sick only for a few weeks, it still was a short time to say goodbye.  She has gone to the other side as quietly as a fading candle, which made it a lot easier for the family to deal with and we should be grateful for that.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-48098207618035251772010-01-31T12:09:00.000+01:002010-01-31T12:09:08.693+01:00

I haven't been creative at all this month, it's been 2 weeks since I took a picture... Maybe it's the lack of sunshine.  We had only half the hours of sunshine we normally get in January, together with some real smog-days and lots of ice-days, this makes people stay inside and get depressed.  My son catches one cold after another and my daughter had the flue last week, for the second time this

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-76001742792881527732010-01-19T10:06:00.000+01:002010-01-19T10:06:09.570+01:00

Karen is having a blogiversery and pink givaway, isn't this pretty, if you want to enter hurry to her blog !

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-16745536788485050832010-01-15T10:37:00.000+01:002010-01-15T10:37:20.295+01:00

My aunt, the last family I have from my fathers site and also my godmother, is diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  She's considered too old for surgery and too weak for any other treatment.  The hospital won't keep her because they can do anything more and she can't go home because she lived alone.  So now they brought her to a nursery home where they have a special wing for palliative patients.  All

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-61242154932865687892010-01-10T19:00:00.001+01:002010-01-10T19:01:34.129+01:00

Is it just me, or do winters get colder and longer year after year.  I feel like a bear wearing 4 layers of clothes, and I want to go in hibernation like one too.  Just snuggle and sleep until spring. I've so had it with dirty snowboots in the hall and hats, scarves and gloves drying everywhere in the house. But I have to admit, for some of us this is plain fun ! I don't know who is happier, Domi

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-88439765873869037912010-01-02T21:16:00.000+01:002010-01-02T21:16:07.383+01:00

Santa brought a very special present for us this Christmas ... meet our newest family member ! He is about 20 months old and we got him from the animal shelter. He is a real sweetheart but he doesn't know how to walk on a leash yet so going for a walk is great exercise for me too... Here is BENJI !    Happy New Year Everyone !

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-64409996124634039682009-12-22T21:22:00.000+01:002009-12-22T21:22:10.874+01:00

Merry Christmas ~ ~ ~ Happy Yule

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-67847329691326415432009-12-19T10:22:00.001+01:002009-12-19T10:23:17.619+01:00

It's cold outside -13°C/8°F but this story makes it all warm inside... 'The Cracked Pot' story A water bearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house.  The

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-5411827947133829182009-12-18T19:41:00.001+01:002009-12-18T19:43:14.175+01:00

It started snowing yesterday, this is a view from the front door at 5pm This is how it looked this morning. My poor car had to sleep outside, can you see it under the white blanket? Now I'm ready for Christmas !

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-42680698188412834412009-12-15T01:00:00.003+01:002009-12-15T16:07:57.658+01:00

Today is the 3rd part of 'Doors of Welcome' hosted by Karen 'Some Day's are Diamonds' Let's start with my new wreath.  I though the traditional Christmas colors red&green wouldn't do well with my gray door, so instead a used more silver to make the wreath. An empty coffee-tin, an old piece of chicken wire and a tour in the garden gave me this : and of course Santa is coming ! The little

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-55338318189685852892009-12-13T16:50:00.000+01:002009-12-13T16:50:05.994+01:00

The beginning of December has been warm and wet (10°C/50°F) but last night the weather changed and we will have frost the next week and maybe a little snow !!! I've been playing with oranges and candles today to make this : The idea for the next candleholder came from Kendall (thank you !!), it's a decorated upside down glass. But I'm still in doubt, should I go buy a pink candle for this one

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-17966042177571567222009-12-10T08:50:00.000+01:002009-12-10T08:50:26.858+01:00

Lyneen from 'I am Dreaming of Castles' is my latest follower.  She has a great blog about here crafts and there's a giveway right now, lots of vintage paper goodies ! Don't forget to decorate your doors for the 3th part of 'Doors of Welcome' on December 15th. Make Karen happy and participate ! My new wreath is ready but you'll have to wait for the pictures until then...

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-25874479328912986672009-12-01T14:46:00.000+01:002009-12-01T14:46:37.870+01:00

I went shopping for Christmas decorations today.  The choice was difficult, but I had so much fun, I forgot all about lunch ! Some of this is for my new wreath.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-52021175259470064302009-11-24T09:35:00.001+01:002009-11-24T09:35:00.746+01:00

Warning ! This is going the be a long post, with lots of history... Let's d(r)ive into town, passing underneath the railroad station square In front of us, the brewery of 'Stella Artois' beer At the right, the canal dug between 1750-1752 The river 'De Dijle' on witch the city was build The first traces of a town can be found in the 9th century. In 1150 the first town wall was built.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-16004096707079200422009-11-19T21:53:00.000+01:002009-11-19T21:53:23.945+01:00

My camera is to humble to take pictures of birds, but this buzzard crosses my path so often that I had to give it a try.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-14816992638972867072009-11-16T20:18:00.002+01:002009-11-16T20:19:51.972+01:00

This morning : 8.30 am driving home from school, it's warm (10°C/50°F) and clouded. 11.30 am : going to the supermarket, still as dark as it was this morning   1.00 pm Bringing home some brightness ! 2.00 pm Look at these clouds   3.30 pm driving to school again past the graveyard, seeing flowers ! a WWII monument This used to be the main entrance of the castle, now

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-44260036789880537832009-11-15T11:14:00.002+01:002009-11-15T21:00:54.388+01:00

Today is the second part of Doors of Welcome, hosted by Karen (Some days are diamonds).  It's all about Thanksgiving.  Of course, we don't have thanksgiving in Belgium.  But I wanted to join this event anyway (how else can I show off with my new painted door ?).  I do like the though of celebrating gratefulness for all that is given, maybe we should start having some kind of Thanksgiving day

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-5717162727930409462009-11-14T17:33:00.000+01:002009-11-14T17:33:21.339+01:00

We did not only get new paint, but also a new front garden. I can hardly wait until spring to see it all growing and blooming. I discovered one little flower, pink roses ! This will look wonderful.  The picture is a bit blurry because of the heavy wind we had today. I am so happy with this, thank you (land)Lord !

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-50499613177721124342009-11-08T14:41:00.000+01:002009-11-08T14:41:29.018+01:00

We had a dark and wet week, leaving me all depressed, but last night brought frost and left us with a beautiful sunshining morning.  These gorgeous calendula flowers are strong enough to survive some frost and make me happy. And then of course there are the many mushrooms I think these are some kind of Russula's And these might be Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fascicular) but I'm not sure of

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-13160427335389885522009-10-20T14:25:00.001+02:002009-10-20T14:29:51.936+02:00

Apple Bundt Cake 200g/7.5oz of all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon of baking powder 200g/7.5oz of icing suger 16g/0.5oz vanilla sugar 2 eggs beaten, if you eat no eggs you can leave them out and use the same volume of water instead 3-4 apples peeled and diced in cubes, make sure you have one more if there are children in the house, they will come begging for a taste... Mix all dry ingredients, then

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-36846722260146296752009-10-15T09:40:00.000+02:002009-10-15T09:40:56.427+02:00

Karen at 'Some Days Are Diamonds' had this wonderful idea to share our 'Doors of Welcome'.  It's a series of tree and today is all about Autumn and Halloween.  Last week while I was decorating my door, my landlord suddenly decided the house needed some paint.  Maybe it was the decoration that drew his attention to it ? Now I'm very happy with this, as you can see on the pictures this door

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-12828089379247914632009-10-15T09:39:00.000+02:002009-10-15T09:39:11.053+02:00

A view from our backyard this morning...  

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-63154292020422253242009-10-11T17:34:00.000+02:002009-10-11T17:34:08.774+02:00

My husband used to fly a little one-engined airplane.  Last summer his plane was sold but I though it would be nice to share some pictures from our flying days.  Unfortunately, the best photo's were on my husbands laptop which was stolen out of his car (take copies if you don't want to lose memories !) but these will do to give you an idea... Did you notice the corn circle ! Here it is

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-50079947428776770892009-10-04T16:09:00.008+02:002011-09-26T10:24:49.379+02:00

We have rain! Never though I'd be happy with that one day ! Time to think about building resistance against winter colds and flu. And that's what elderberry syrup is perfect for. I've known this for years but it's the first time I'm making my own syrup. There are several recipes but this is how I did it : First of all, if you want to try this, hurry, the best time to pick the berries is

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-91883259017968371102009-10-03T20:26:00.008+02:002009-10-03T20:47:13.563+02:00

Lots of wind and clouds today, but still no rain. Temperature went below 60°F/15°C t, looks like we will need coats from now on. I went berry picking and almost blew away...Elderberries, don't they look like caviar ? I've cooked them to make juice and tomorrow this will become syrup, very effective against winter colds and flu.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-73265901162356507512009-09-26T21:01:00.005+02:002009-09-26T21:34:33.625+02:00

We have such a beautiful autumn-weather, warm days, cool nights, clear blue sky, I had to walk today !

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-20450151179056387062009-09-19T21:34:00.004+02:002009-09-19T21:54:57.863+02:00

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-88697115463463555132009-09-18T15:09:00.004+02:002009-09-18T15:15:46.165+02:00

Fall is really beginning now, this morning we had 8°C/47°F, time for some decorating.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-36539852856318857672009-09-11T09:41:00.002+02:002009-09-13T19:47:33.534+02:00

"The morrow was a bright September morn;The earth was beautiful as if newborn;There was nameless splendor everywhere,That wild exhilaration in the air,Which makes the passers in the city streetCongratulate each other as they meet."- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-50062012115568207262009-09-09T21:45:00.005+02:002009-09-09T21:59:12.271+02:00

Do you remember the potatoes I planted to keep the fence clean ? I didn't expect much of a harvest from them but did I get a surprise... I had to throw away some because they weren't covered well and turned green (which is toxic) but look at these beautiesThese are the biggest potatoes I have ever harvested !And then there's peppers. Normally the Belgian weather is to cold and wet in summer to

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-27349963079540573872009-09-04T10:02:00.013+02:002009-09-04T10:41:06.789+02:00

About 20 years ago I found this postcard (according to the back it was written in 1919) on a flea market. I was very excited about it because this is the house where I grew up, and the second man from the left is my grandfather (I never new him, he died before I was born).The watermill existed already in the beginning of the 17thcentury (no one knows when it was build) but my grandfather has

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-21375620296493184362009-09-03T10:14:00.005+02:002009-09-04T10:39:21.432+02:00

At your request : Here are some inside pictures from the main entrance of the castle (taken on a special occasion)

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-54931932135466177842009-09-01T10:24:00.006+02:002009-09-04T10:39:35.593+02:00

Today is the first day of school again. A perfect day to show some photo's from the school where my children go to. They actually go to school in a castle that was build in the 19th century, in the middle of a wooded park. The school is there since 50 years, the castle is rebuild in 1845 but there was another one in the 16th century already. I didn't take these pictures myself but copied them

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-19215692494458465332009-08-23T17:14:00.004+02:002009-08-23T20:12:39.735+02:00

Yes Karen, I could sit the next day - on a cushion. And I felt muscles I didn't know I had. ;)Here's my 12-year-old, showing what I am supposed to learn.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-306932866550382762009-08-15T17:35:00.002+02:002009-08-15T17:41:19.878+02:00

40 years ago there was love and peace and mud in Woodstock. In Belgium it was my 7th birthday. This means I'm not old enough to be and old hippie and maybe even young enough for my first ride on a horse. My biggest fear wasn't to fall off, it was not being able to get up in the saddle. But all went well.I hope I will be able to sit tomorrow...

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-55167830349123165082009-08-13T20:51:00.001+02:002009-08-13T20:53:52.199+02:00

My biggest tomato this summer : a Brandywine, weight : 1/2 kg (1 pound) !

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-45476384360346232122009-08-05T21:26:00.006+02:002009-08-05T21:33:36.802+02:00

Another treasure I carried home yesterday was this little table. I will use it for my seedcatalogs, knitting books, craft patterns, etc. The pink glass bowl was also my aunt's, the tatting lace is one I made myself (click on the picture to see it bigger)

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-3931514939825660302009-08-04T20:51:00.003+02:002009-08-04T21:04:48.200+02:00

My oldest aunt decided to go live in a home for elderly. She's 95 and was living on her own in a big old house. Now the house is sold and has to be emptied and the whole family was asked to take whatever they wanted. Here is some of what I got :Cool oldfashioned kitchen stuffIsn't this wonderful !

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-68795107961184290402009-07-27T20:55:00.002+02:002009-07-27T20:59:32.301+02:00

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-17294645228060364602009-07-17T16:01:00.004+02:002009-07-17T16:10:30.850+02:00

This is a painting my daughter made years ago when she was in preschool, I still love the bright colors of these joyful flowers.After a holiday in France in 2002, I made this little oil painting after some pictures I took in Coullioure (near Perpignan), I made the frame myself too.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-7592761567748244332009-07-02T22:05:00.008+02:002009-07-02T22:23:38.159+02:00

Yesterday summer holiday started and not a day too soon. It's very hot and dry and the air quality is very bad, the best thing to do is to stay inside between 12.00 and 6.00 pm and move as little as possible. There are a lot of bugs and flies etc. I tried hosing the tomatoes to loose the little black flies, but after a day or so they're back, but they don't seem to do to much harm.This

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-84631215038894298832009-06-23T09:54:00.011+02:002009-06-23T11:21:48.970+02:00

A list of what I do to make my life simple and frugal, I wonder what this list will look like in a year or so :- I hang my laundry to dry, I don't use homemade soap (yet) but I use simple soap flakes from the store. ("Marseille" soap with glycerin), I use natural products for cleaning (a lot of vinegar) and micro fiber cloths.- I use reusable shopping bags.- Grow veggies, herbs and fruits and

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-84760868819701170402009-06-22T21:42:00.004+02:002009-06-22T21:57:04.500+02:00

A walk through the garden brought me these fruits today. Perfect for a quick dessert.I took some orange juice, added vanilla sugar and some agar-agar (a seaweed that replaces gelatin) and let it cook to get a jelly, poured it over the fruits and let it cool in the fridge. A fresh leaf of mint for the finishing touch et voila

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-60499658739962870502009-06-07T15:39:00.003+02:002009-06-07T16:05:21.436+02:00

We had a dry, sunny spring, warmer then we're used to, which makes everything in the garden a week or two earlier. The redcurrant berries (ribes rubrum) are ready for picking. Time for jelly making !First we cook the berries for a minute until they burst open, after cooling down, pour them through a muslin cloth and squeeze until all the juice comes out. Add sugar (half the weight of the

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-80178888892613193202009-06-06T22:02:00.002+02:002009-06-06T22:25:05.687+02:00

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-71524846580345653772009-05-18T09:20:00.008+02:002009-09-04T10:39:59.225+02:00

About 30 years ago, I went on a school excursion to London. Now my son came home from his school excursion to London.I remember how much I liked to be on deck of the boat and see the many different colors of the sea.My son tells me how they were on deck and could see both the white coast of France and the cliffs of Dover at the same time.I remember we went to a musical (Oliver Twist) and how we

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-33016990446008616302009-05-15T19:32:00.002+02:002009-05-15T19:36:58.151+02:00

It's raining. Again. Day after day we're having these heavy rainshowers. The garden looks like the rainforest. Everything (including weeds) is growing very fast, and there's alot of mud, impossible to do anything. The tomatoes are growing fast and are desperatly waiting to go outside, the strawberries are still green, so I hope they will survive. My herbs-pottery-garden looks very dirty with

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-73180368758377633322009-04-24T19:32:00.006+02:002009-09-01T11:09:40.522+02:00

An old house in the neighbourhood.I wanted to share this view.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-4145451668006207442009-04-21T14:22:00.004+02:002009-04-21T14:41:26.074+02:00

There's a fence in our garden that is attracting 'difficult weeds' likestickyweed (galium aparine - cleavers),bindweed (convolvulaceae) and Couch Grass (Elytrigia Repens - twitch). Last year I tried to keep the fence clean by mulching with mowed grass. It helped a bit, but the difficult ones keep coming, which isn't so strange when you know plants like couch grass love nutritious soils, and

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-25597626073629582382009-04-12T11:54:00.003+02:002009-04-12T11:59:59.331+02:00

Happy Easter !

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-8612438865123377752009-04-01T09:01:00.001+02:002009-04-01T09:03:09.747+02:00

Homegrown Revolution (Trailer) from Path to Freedom on Vimeo.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-86442266203718721502009-03-30T20:56:00.005+02:002009-03-30T21:49:38.350+02:00

Stinging Nettles (Urtica Dioica) are high in minerals (especially iron) and vitamins (especially A and C).A strong fibre is obtained from the stems for making string and cloth.Stinging nettle has a lot of medical uses : reduces allergies, stimulates digestion, cleanses blood, treats arthritis,...The nettle root is known to be a diuretic and to give relief from prostate problems. Nettles make an

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-37075957822517912582009-03-25T21:15:00.001+01:002009-03-25T21:17:43.755+01:00

... between rain showers and hail.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-19601067185382067012009-03-17T13:45:00.003+01:002009-03-17T13:52:30.978+01:00

I made my first raised bed today, from an old children's bed. Took out the slatted base and put the feet into the soil. Then I filled it up with a mixture of homemade compost and molehills and now it's all ready for the seeds.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-91653125706772879832009-03-09T14:34:00.006+01:002009-03-09T14:48:39.951+01:00

We had a little snow last night. Lots of clouds today and alot of wind.Lettuce is coming up !The book I'm reading today is "De Overgave" (The Surrender) by Arthur Japin, based on the real life of Sally (Granny) Duty in Fort Parker, Texas, 19th century.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-9665216248622698542009-03-05T13:14:00.009+01:002009-03-05T13:37:38.104+01:00

Temperature has gone up to 10°C/50°F so the garden started to wake up. I started with some trimming.Our goldfish has survived the ice in his little sandbox-pond.Yesterday a cold wind was blowing but after all this waiting I wanted to start seeding.It's a little bit too soon to start so I improvised a little greenhouse with an old piece of glass and some bricks and I sowed some radishes and

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-89083198658420303442009-02-21T18:13:00.005+01:002009-02-21T18:24:08.042+01:00

Amid the Stillness of Winter,A Heart started Beating,The First signs of Spring !The Hazel Tree or Common Hazel (corylus avellana) is a member of the birch family and was a sacred tree in ancient times. Forked branches were used as diving rods (twigs) to detect water. The flowers are produced very early in spring, the male catkins are pale yellow and 5-12 cm long. Tea made of these catkins is used

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-62045437821809911242009-02-08T19:18:00.006+01:002009-02-08T19:38:08.206+01:00

This week my husbands shaving machine broke, I broke the coffeemaker, a glas fel out of the cupboard on the floor in a million pieces and finally, the washing machine gave up. Is Universe trying to tell me something here or what ?I spend this sunday with doing some washing by hand and reading a lovely book : 'The Cure for Death by Lightning' by Gail Anderson-Dargatz. It's about a young girl

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-70574894074285863242009-02-03T17:16:00.004+01:002009-02-03T17:23:28.165+01:00

Raining and SnowingDark and GreyDoing what has to be doneWithout any JoyTo cold to stay outsideTo warm to stay insideNot enough light to take a decent pictureNothing to take a decent picture from anywayLooking for the first signs of springToo early for the first signs of spring

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-66816167928164472032009-01-15T20:51:00.003+01:002009-01-15T21:01:45.563+01:00

The world is green again and it seems the moles had an underground party to celibrate. This can't be done by just 1 little mole, can it ? About 30 hills this morning, made in just a few days. Every morning there are more of them, and I even saw the ground move and the hill grow. How am I ever going to turn this is a decent lawn again in spring ?

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-36595491770749167522009-01-10T16:42:00.004+01:002009-01-10T16:56:03.781+01:00

Visitors in our garden today :some collared turtle dovesone blue tita bunch of starlings and sparrowsa blackbird or twoa robinand a wren (which we call a 'winterkoninkje', which means : 'little king of the winter')the birds don't seem to mind the cold, it's been -15°C/5°F last night, but they still were singing.

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194796659743984330.post-40154657946946499222009-01-09T20:23:00.003+01:002009-01-10T16:55:43.249+01:00

Miekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711562158615598730noreply@blogger.com0