Leap Year 4K Run

Happy Leap Year! Did you ever wonder why on earth we have a leap year to begin with? It seems that you have to add one day to February every 4 years in order to keep the astronomical and seasonal year on track. Seasons have a mind of their own, you know, as it's up to us to try to keep up. With that in mind, some of the fabulous ladies at KB decided to do something special to commemorate this event. So they planned a Leap Year 5K run/walk. No, the title is not a typo. I tend to travel to the beat of my own drummer, so I figured that I would do a 4K in honor of Leap Year coming every 4 years. (That and the fact that I just didn't feel like running the extra kilometer today. So sue me.) We met at a local Fitometer (outdoor nature track) and took off for some healthy celebrating. As we were warming up and discussing how many laps we had to do around the track to do a 4K or 5K, some locals jogged by. "Stop talking and start running" he said, in perfect English. Well. If you're going to put it that way.

Exploring The Area

All too soon, it will be time to get on a plane and leave Belgium forever. With that in mind, and armed with nothing but our cameras and a sense of adventure, my friend Melissa and I set off to capture some memories. And had a fantastic time doing so. Even in Winter, with trees bare and grass dormant, Belgium is a beautiful country. I'm really going to miss it and the wonderful people who live here. The locals are quick with a smile, and always happy to talk to you, even with the challenge of different languages. But I think I'll miss the beautiful buildings most of all. There is just so much history here. I already have plans to explore more of the US and it's historic places once we are back on the other side of the pond. I can't wait to see what adventures are in our future.

A Day In Maastricht With My Favorite Peeps

The kids are out of school this whole week, so Russ took today off and we went to Maastricht for lunch. It's one of my favorite cities over here, so any excuse to go there is a good one. Even though it was overcast and misty, the market was still in full swing. We walked around for a little bit and then ducked into one of our favorite restaurants to eat. As I was sitting there listening to my family talking, with Italian music playing in the background and the smell of fresh baked pizza in the air, I just couldn't help but think how very lucky I am. Does life really get any better than this? These are the moments that I'll remember once we are back in the states, and Jess is off to college. Don't you wish you could trap days like this in a box, and open them up to peek inside once you are old and gray? Well, older and grayer than I am right now at least.

Carnival Week in Belgium

It's Carnaval Week in Belgium. The kids are out of school, everyone is in a fantastic mood, and things get just a little bit crazy. (I think this event might mark the official onset of Spring Fever.) We try to make it to at least one parade each year, because that's part of the fun. It reminds me a lot of Mardis Gras back home. There are always lots of interesting floats to see, and people dress up in colorful costumes and throw all sorts of goodies to the crowds gathered to enjoy the show.

Adding to the craziness of the event, it's all sponsored by the local brewery. Most of the participants have had more than their share by the time they make it through the town. This group sat down in the middle of the street, formed a human chain, and proceeded to wave and sing along with the music blaring from the nearest float. No one is ever out of control here, though. Everyone is just acting silly and having a good time.

This fellow wasn't part of the parade, but he was still my favorite. What kid doesn't love a parade, no matter what age? I know I do. Happy Carnival.

Scaled Down Collections

There she is. Isn't she amazing? On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give her a 10. I've been looking for her forever. She balances out my collection, you know. OK, I'll stop before you start throwing things at your computer. I think my scale collection is now complete, so my hubby can rest easy. I saw one of these when I first moved here, but didn't snatch it up. Now I'm glad, because this one is in even better shape than the other. She's brass, you know. And she's gorgeous. I have no idea why I've become obsessed with antique scales, but I have. And no, I have no idea where they will eventually go once we retire, but I can assure you that they will have a place of honor in our home. And they will always remind me of my wonderful days in Belgium, exploring new towns and searching for the perfect (and affordable) antique. And I've picked up some amazing things, some of which I haven't even shared on this blog. You'll just have to come and visit me when I get back to the states and see for yourself what mystical treasures I've brought home with me. Now you're really wondering, aren't you...

Friday

In case you are wondering why I haven't been posting nearly as many pictures as normal lately, Blogger has informed me that I've been a very bad girl and have just about reached my limit on space on this blog. Who knew that uploading about 10,000 pictures over almost 3 years would use up that much room? Not me, for sure. I'm going to try to post fewer pics over the next few months, so that I can make this blog last until we fly back to the states. It's going to be a challenge, but I'll give it my best shot. Wish me luck!

Happy Valentine's Day

This is my friend. I will hug him and squeeze him, and call him George. George says Happy Valentine's Day!

Useful Objects

A while back, I happened upon yet another antique scale. Yep. They are my weakness. It was different from the others (and very inexpensive), so of course... I had to have it. The hubby has never told me that I shouldn't buy them, but I knew I was facing another bout of eye rolling and those dreaded words "Another scale? Really? How many of those things do you need?" So I quietly cleared off the bathroom counter, installed my new beauty front and center, filled both sides with the items that I had just removed, and walked away. The hubby came home from work and went about his business. And I waited. And waited. And the kids cleaned up before bed time and said "Mom? What ..." and I shushed them. The ball was in his court. Nothing. I'm not very good at the waiting game, but I stood firm on this one. Finally... the next morning, just before he walked out the front door to work, he said "By the way, did you really think I wouldn't notice another scale if you filled it full of junk?" "What? That old thing?" I answered. "It's been there forever. Have a great day." Hmmmmm. I just might be on to something.

Saturday Snow Angels

I looked outside my window this morning and noticed that an angel had paid us a visit. Looks like someone is enjoying our late snow fall. Hope your Saturday was full of lovely surprises as well.

Antiques Are Like Real Estate

No, really. They are. What's the most important factor in setting the price for real estate? Location! Location! Location! The same is true for antiques. Which is really crazy when you think about it, because you can move them where ever you want. I'm not talking about where you keep it, though. I'm talking about where you buy it. The nicer the place and more foot traffic it gets, the higher your price. I was looking through my Pottery Barn catalog the other day ( I LOVE Pottery Barn. I would live in their pages if it were only possible. I like to think that Pottery Barn and I would be friends if I had a lot more money and perhaps a tad more style. We'd go out for cappucino together and I would call her PB, because we'd do cute things like that.) and came across a few things that were very familiar. Maybe I have more style than I thought. There on the fabulous pages of PB were some of the treasures that I've collected since we moved to Belgium. My jars, my trogs... heck, they even had my irons! But something wasn't quite the same. Ahhhhh. Location. All my treasures together didn't cost what one of those glorious Pottery Barn trogs (bread bowls?) did. And that makes my lovely finds just that much more special. Besides, now I can tell the hubby that they are investments. Just the sound of that word makes him smile. See? Now we're all happy.

Groundhog Day

I would give the creator of this picture credit, but I don't know who came up with it. It makes me laugh, though. Happy Groundhog Day.