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.

Snow!

To say that we are excited here is a huge understatement. After two winters of heavy snowfall, this year we have been left with... nothing. Until today, that is. When we woke up this morning, it was to find about an inch or two of the fluffy white stuff all over the ground. As I was doing my happy dance all around the living room, the kids were rolling their eyes and asking what the big deal was. (You'll have to excuse them. After 4 years in Alaska, they're a little jaded about snow.) My American friends over here get it, though. They did the virtual happy dance with me on FaceBook. And some even braved the elements to get out and explore the gorgeous day with me. It's still falling, slow and steady outside my window. Who knows what tomorrow may bring, so I'm certainly going to enjoy today. I mean, come on. It's SNOW!

Merry Christmas!

If anyone here was dreaming of a white Christmas, then Santa really delivered this year. Some day, many years from now, the locals will refer to this (with affection) as "The Great Snowstorm of 2010." I'm having flashbacks of our Alaskan Christmases. (I still can't beleive we sold that snow blower. It would have come in really handy here lately, but who knew?) I hope none of you were on Santa's naughty list, and you got everything that you wished for. We had a great Christmas, starting with the exciting chaos of opening presents and ending with a delicious dinner with friends. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully Happy New Year!

Relaxing During the Christmas Break...

Someone is regretting the fact that we sold the snow blower when we left Alaska.  Don't worry, it never snows in Belgium.  If it does, it usually melts the same day.  Usually. 

It's Snowing...Again

Yesterday's big fat flakes of snow are back, and they brought a few friends. It's beginning to looking a lot like Christmas...everywhere you go...

A Slow Market Day

Today was a very slow market day in our area. There weren't as many vendors as usual. Definitely not as many customers, either. No one wanted to brave the chilly weather to pick up a few things. I can't say that I blame them.

It's more the kind of day where you just want to hide out inside, enjoy a cup of coffee, and watch a movie.

This might explain why people are choosing to stay home....the snow has begun. It's starting to get a little heavier now, and the flakes are getting a little bigger. Maybe England's massive snow storm has made its way to Belgium...

Life In The Slow Lane

It's still winter. Just in case you were curious and wanted to know if Belgium was somehow in the midst of a great thaw. You would be mistaken. In fact, it is ever so lightly...snowing.

In true Belgian spirit, life continues on as usual. In the early morning, when it's still dark outside and the snow is softly falling, you will find the kids riding their bikes to school. Locals walk and ride their bikes to the market for fresh veggies for their dinner. Ladies are out polishing their windows until they sparkle in the early morning light. Everyone manages to have a minute to spare to wave as you pass by. I get the feeling that nothing can hold these people down. Not even Mother Nature. They, too, must live by the motto that was inscribed on the James Farley Post Office..."Neither rain, nor snow, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds". (Did I mention that our mail person delivers the post by bicycle, regardless of the weather? The bigger towns use scooters. Wimps.) This is a very social country. I think that may be part of the reason they have such little refrigerators and no freezers. I know...they like fresh food, but they also thrive on social interaction. They turn everything into a social occasion. I went to watch my son's swimming class, and found that the observation area is a very lovely coffee house. Two walls are made completely of glass, and you can have a cappuccino and snack with friends, while you watch the kids splash about in the water. How fantastic is this? And it's not just swimming. I'm told that during the kid's soccer matches, they take an hour break for half time and head over to an adjacent coffee house to warm up with soup and coffee. Then they head back to the field for the rest of the game. In the US, we are all about speed. How fast can I get through this event and on to the next? Not so in Belgium. It would explain why people are healthier here and there is a lot less stress. Ironically, this slower pace tends to cause some stress in us misplaced Americans. More than a few times, I've tried to do business somewhere only to find that they are either closed for a two hour lunch break, or was offered coffee because I will have to wait for a while before what I need can be taken care of. It takes some adjusting. We are trying to live the European way. It's a learning experience. For instance, I checked the gauge on our mazout tank (heating oil that heats our home as well as our water), and noticed that we were running a tad low. I called the local company to arrange for delivery. "Are you out?" he asked. "Not yet, but I'm running pretty low," I replied. "We will deliver to you this next week," he stated. When I asked what day to expect them, I was told "I can not tell you the day. Just next week." Um, what? Apparently, delivery just depends on what day the driver tends to be in our neck of the woods and wants to stop by. Like a good little camper, I stayed close to home and waited. And waited. Several days went by, so I called again to see if they could just give me a little hint. "He will be at your house tomorrow", I was told. I think that this was a test to see just how long I would wait before calling back. This might be one of the local stress relievers. Let's mess with the Americans. It's always good for a few giggles. And for a bonus laugh, let's ask her to pronounce the name of her street again. She never can seem to get that one right.

Flowers and Snow...

I know, it's a strange combination, but flowers and snow it is. First off, I had the chance to take another floral arrangement class yesterday. Who knew these things were so much fun? The Belgian lady who teaches these classes has a great sense of humor, so we always have quite a few giggles as we "work." Let's just say that the Belgians also have a way with slang, and it translates quite nicely. Anyway, I now have a lovely Christmas decoration for my table.

Today, there was a decided change in the weather. Why....is that snow? I know, it's not the several feet of white stuff dumped on us in Alaska, but it's exciting just the same. So far, it's sticking, and more is expected tomorrow. I'm told that last year, they got about 5 inches around this time. I don't think that's in store for us this week, but we'll take what we can get. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...