It all started with the pizza

Since it was Mother's Day, we decided to go out for lunch. I wanted pizza and we rode our bikes downtown to Rossi where they have really good pizza. Jim always wants to take my picture (which I think is really sweet) so here I am with my pizza. I didn't eat it all and I sure hated to leave about half of it behind. Not because I was on my bike, but because people here don't take home "doggy bags" with their leftover food. Ever. It just doesn't happen here.

I tried not to be too obvious when taking this picture. See the family in the corner of the restaurant? Mother, father, (daughter you can't see), and son. They are all looking off - out the window. The son is even wearing headphones! He wore those the entire time they were there. I presume they were taking Mom out for a Mother's Day lunch. They were all present, but I'm not sure they were all where they wanted to be :~|

So after lunch, Jim suggested we ride our bikes over to the canal. That sounded like a good idea - so we did.

Windmills are being installed along the canal. Here's the beginning of one. The mechanism at the top doesn't seem so big . . .

. . . until you see one on the ground. That's Jim on his bike in front of it. It was huge!

Along the canal is the route Jim takes when he rides his bike to work. He had noticed this sign and thought it was funny. Not sure what this means - "No fishing like a flamingo"? "May lightening strike you if you fish while standing like a flamingo?"

A little family of . . . ducks, I guess. Small geese?

I found out my behind isn't quite conditioned for such a long trip. Jim said we rode about 11 miles. I have no idea how far that really is, but it seemed like a looooooong way. I was worn out when we got home and had to take a nap :) I think Jim rides about that far to work every day (and then back again). I don't see how he does it without a nap!

These geese were really hungry and apparently thought Jim had something to eat. You will hear him tell them he will bring them something next time. Although they are Dutch geese, they probably speak English too so they will be expecting something on Monday morning. That's me laughing in the background. I kinda sound like those geese :-/

Like the special occasions already this year, we missed getting together with our family on Mother's Day. That would have made this day just perfect.

Gelukkig Moederdag

I'd like to wish all you Mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day!

I've been a Mom for almost 27 years and I am certain it's the most important thing I'll ever do. I can't think of anything that could possibly bring more happiness.

The time goes by so quickly and I can hardly believe my own daughter is a Mom herself. And a very good one, I might add.

I was lucky, for 35 years, to have a wonderful Mom myself. We were very close and for that I am forever grateful. I do miss her.

For almost as long as I had a wonderful Mom, I've also had a wonderful mother-in-law. Now, I know all those things people say about the "mother-in-law", but they definitely don't apply to mine. I couldn't have special-ordered one any better and for that I am also very grateful.

So, Moeders . . . Have. A. Great. Day!

Valentina and Alexander

If you read my blog from time to time, you may remember I mentioned two people who joined our Flemish class and inadvertently took the "understood assigned seats" from the family of three.

Well, they are Valentina and Alexander from Russia. They are a mature retired couple who were in Belgium to visit their daughter and grandchildren. I have no doubt they were attending Flemish classes so they could talk to their grandchildren.

Have you ever thought about this? It's quite common around here, imagine not speaking the language of your grandchildren. Like, say your son or daughter moves to Arkansas, has children, and they speak something other than English.

Okay, Arkansas isn't the best example. They often do speak something other than English.

I'm just kidding.

We've actually met a few people with this same issue. Not the Arkansas thing . . . trying, at our age, to learn Italian or Greek or Spanish. I mean, these people already know English, Dutch, German, and French! But what to do when your grandkids are in Italy?!

You learn Italian.

So it is with Valentina and Alexander. They speak Russian and English and who knows what else, but they want and need to speak Dutch.

This is a map of languages - just in Europe.

We live somewhere just below the word "Dutch" up there. So you see we only have to drive a half hour to already need to know French and German!

They (Valentina and Alexander) attended class regularly and I noticed they had been absent for about a week. I asked our teacher about them and she said they were only allowed to remain in Belgium for three months and had to return to Russia. I don't know the rules about this or when they will be allowed to visit again, but I do hope they are able to practice their Dutch so they can tell stories to their grandchildren when they see them again.

Salmagundi

That's actually English.

Taken from our living room window. Every Sunday morning,

the slagerij down the street roasts chicken outside.

Only on Sundays.

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All water hoses come like this.

"Doe het zelf"

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These weeks look pretty good.

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Jim's new favorite food from the grocery store across the street.

Even comes with expanding chopsticks.

He says it's great and he's eaten a fair amount of sushi.

Personally, I prefer my rice right next to my enchilada.

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My new favorite Belgian food.

Comes in it's own bag.

No chopsticks required and I've also eaten my fair share of animal crackers.

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I will never know if this is a favorite 'cause you can be sure I will never try it.

This says:

Why experts choose horsemeat?

For 4 important reasons

- extremely low fat

- low cholesterol

- little calories

- high iron content

Are you convinced?

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I really don't know what to say about that.

Definitely a bold move.

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We don't drink much milk,

but we also don't pour much down the drain any more.

This is only the second (liter?) I've purchased since I got here!

And it's still good!

That's May 20th.

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And by the way, Jim has a theory about the milk thing. It's a pretty good one too. Since the milk here is processed so it lasts practically forever, there's very little waste.

The reason it may not be processed that way in the States is because if every gallon lasted 4 months, you couldn't do your part to help subsidize the dairy farmers.

Think about it.

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This picture is really small because I hate these things.

I quickly turn my head away when I catch a glimpse of one

. . . in my peripheral.

It makes me feel weird. Even nauseous.

Is it just me or should these things be banned?

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Our new friend Michael from Scotland,

who is also in our Flemish class, brought this beer to Jim.

It's brewed and sold only in Gent.

And has an alcohol volume of 11.5%! That's very high for beer.

Anyway, we shared it, I woke up with a headache

And I don't want any more.

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You gotta love Dutch.

Let op!

Drempels

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And this is an actual road sign.

It says . . .

Drive carefully

in alliance with

migration of toads

7 p.m. - 7 a.m.

Unfortunately we missed the paddentrek that day.

1104

Yesterday was Ross's last day in the house at 1104 Wedgewood. Everything has been stored, sold, or given away.

We moved into that house 10 years ago when Randi had just finished the 10th grade and Ross was only 11 years old.

Many, many good memories.

It's been a great decade, 1104, I'll miss you...a lot... http://yfrog.com/bhe6plj 28 minutes ago

and I will too.