gincoleaves

Moving house!

2008-04-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

I would love to tell you that I've moved into one of the houses on

this picture, but unfortunately I can't.

This beautiful picture was taken in Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset -

England.

To appreciate the full picture, please click on.
My new address is http://www.littleginkgotree.blogspot.com/
I've only moved my blog somewhere else, but I would still
like to move myself to that gorgeous scenery on the
picture above.
See you on the other side.

2008-04-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

Rain rain go away, you're soaking me with depression! !
It's been raining in our corner of the world for days on end -
will it ever stop? Where is our Springtime?
OK, enough moaning for one blog entry, let's listen to

this golden oldie sung by Joe Armstrong, it kinda
leaves you feeling in a very good mood.
Enjoy - and always look on the bright side!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i35WRFDcKGo

Lady Liberty

2008-04-21T01:01:00.001-07:00

This image was taken at Camp Dodge in Iowa in the year 1918.
18,000 Officers and soldiers posed to form this human statue.

I have added a link below where you will read a little more about
it.
This is an amazing achievement - let's face it, something like
this can easily compare with our modern day world !

http://www.snopes.com/photos/patriotic/liberty.asp#photo

Innocent Lamb ?

2008-04-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Don't believe a word ! !
Click on the pic and see why.

OVERINDULGENCE !

2008-04-20T02:01:00.001-07:00

While the Master's away, this could happen - this could very well

be your sweet Fifi lying on the carpet - all passed out from drinking too

much booze while you're away, and not looking!

I think I must have a camera installed just to see what my Fuji gets

up to the moment I leave the house !! (snigger)

2008-04-18T00:11:00.000-07:00

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!

Goethe.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK END EVERYONE!

The Tree Man!

2008-04-17T01:26:00.000-07:00

At some or other time in our lives, each one of us had a nasty

little wart on our finger or hand, (Mom always said, touching

a frog, will give you warts, I clearly remember making

mud cakes, but playing with frogs - NO WAY JOSE!)

We cannot imagine the suffering this

poor man from Indonesia had to endure when the warts on

his fingers and hands kept on growing and growing!

These grotesque looking warts - weighing 2 kilos, is due to

the man's weakened immune system - diagnose by an American

Dermatologist.

We can only hope that once he's been freed from these horrid

things, he will be able to lead a normal life again!

I have copied a link, so if you want to see and hear more about

cases like these, just click onto http://www.glumbert.com/media/treeman

We are definately living in a very strange and surreal world!

How to annoy or please your neighbors.

2008-04-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

Now that Monday is done and dusted, let's enjoy a little Tuesday nonsense.

DON'T TRY THIS IN YOUR GARDEN!
Sit in your front lawn pointing a hairdryer at passing cars to
see if they slow down !

Mow your lawn with scissors !

Construct elaborate "crop circles" in your front lawn!

Switch your neighbor's lawn furniture with someone else's !

Wash and scrub the trees in your front lawn !

Mow your carpet ( preferably the neighbor's)

Vacuum your lawn !

OR
Simply spread fertilizer on half your neighbor's lawn ! ! !

I found this on thatwasfunny.com - and I used a few cheeky
garden lines.

A Blast from the Past !

2008-04-13T09:37:00.001-07:00

No, this is not an oversized potatoe - it's a bomb! !
This little meany from the past - World War 2 - caused quite a
stirr in Stuttgart, Schlossgarten Germany on Saturday.

People were evacuated from their homes and taken to safer
places, while bomb experts deactivated the big boy!

Since 1946 more than 24,000 bombs were deactivated in
Baden-Württemberg, unfortunately 13 staff members of the bomb
squad lost their lives during the dangerous mission.

That's an awful lot of bombs in Germany!!

The saying goes "Where there's one snake, there are usually
more....!"
Let's hope in this case - this was the last snake to be flattened!!

Be Honost with yourself !

2008-04-11T14:05:00.001-07:00

You Are 24% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well.
In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

<>http://www.blogthings.com/howevilareyouquiz/">How Evil Are You?

Guardian Angel on Duty!

2008-04-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Although it's not my intention, I'm beginning to sound/blog like a drama
reporter.
Let me tell you of the near disaster that happened here at a train station
in an area called Möhlin in Switzerland.

A young Mother was waiting for the train to roll in - with her was her
6 month old baby in a pram.
When the train finally rushed into the station, the pram was tilt by the
speed of the train, and the baby was tossed out the safety of
the pram and landed in between the train rails ! ! !

According to the newspapers, the baby is alive and well and
escaped the tragedy with only a "bump !"

The Mother was hospitalized - due to the shock of the nightmare.

Strangely enough, when we left our beloved Fuji in the caring hands of
the people who have a dog kennel in Möhlin - before we went to SA for
our Son's wedding in November 2007, we went by train, instead of taking the
car.

We were told to bring the dog to the kennel so she can "sniff out the
area!" before her stay, which we did, but getting back to the train
station, we had to walk down quite a number of steps, and at the bottom
end of the steps, was an alcove.

Before the train arrived I said to Mr. CC , I think we should stand in
the safety of the alcove because when the train speeds into the station,
one can almost feel yourself being knocked off
your feet, from the sheer speed of the great monster.

Eventhough we stood in that alcove, I could feel the strong breeze
of the passing train - it felt as if my hair was blown off my scalp!

Thank the alert angels for protecting the baby on that fateful day, and
as the Germans and the Swiss will say, it was
GLÜCK IM UNGLÜCK - the biggest luck in a badluck situation!!!

On a much sweeter Note

2008-04-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

If you're a softy for anything sweet (like me) then you will most likely
drool over these pictures of the heavenly Turkish Delight, above.
This is a mouthful of pure bliss, and I couldn't resist it as a child.
As yet I haven't come across this yummy bit in Switzerland, but I
caught sight of something similar at our Autum Fair, although it was
labeled Turkish Delight, it was most definately not the same.
My thanks goes to Helen Morgan for this mouthwatering picture!

Then came Baklava, yet another, most unusual sweet treat.
This consists of a sweet nutty ingredient, nestling between a bottom and a
top layer of a syrupy and flakey dough - absolutely devine!
I was always under the impression that this sweet treat comes from
Greece, because as a child, Mom would buy a few slices from the Greek
shop on the corner.
Here in Switzerland we don't have many Greek citizens, but we have
many thousands of Turkish immigrants, and that's where I've discovered -
once again, after many years, the delicious Baklava.
I found these on Bettisue's Flickr pictures, thank you ! !

Come to think of it, if Turkish Delight or even Baklava was

served on that plane, we would have all been treated with

a sweet smile. (snigger)

Come fly with me !

2008-04-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning I went downtown to reserve a seat on the
plane for myself, and this morning I had to go back to the travel
agency to pay for my ticket.
I will be leaving our town on the 25th June, and will arrive in London
Heathrow Airport about an hour and 45 minutes later.
Needless to say, I'm looking very forward to be on British soil again, and
I'll have about 6 hours to spend (and to enjoy the Queen's English to the
very last minute of my stay)
After that, I'll be on my way to South Africa to visit my good friend (and
her dear family) whom I haven't seen for the last 18 years!

This time I've decide to fly with the Eeenglish, because the staff on
the Turkish Airlines weren't a very friendly bunch of people.
To influence or insult anyone by saying this, is not my intention, but
a few passengers on that airline definately felt the abrupt mannerism
of the staff on board - without a joke, I was afraid to ask for a second
cup of coffee on that plane, I stood the chance of being thrown out of
the window by the male steward who walked the lanes serving the coffee.
Instead I asked for a small bottle of wine (which the moody guy didn't have
to serve) no, he just plonked the bottle down and moved on.
It was the best thing I did for the evening, because the wine went straight
to my head (thanks to the altitude) and for the rest of the evening I hardly
noticed the rudeness that the passenger in the seat in front of me had to put
up with !

Years ago when we flew from New York to South Africa (also with the same
airlines) we had havoc on that plane.
There were a couple of young Turkish guys who insisted on turning their radios
onto full volume, and no matter how nicely the stewardesses asked them to
please turn it down, they simply refused !

Then there were a few other guys who decided to throw hard boiled
eggs, from one isle to the other , at one another - geeez, we lived dangerously that
evening, one could get hit by a hardboiled at any stage!

So, as long as Naomi Campbell is not a passenger on the British plane, I really
should get to my destination in one piece (snigger!)

Chaos in our town

2008-04-02T03:22:00.001-07:00

At about 13.20 yesterday afternoon a city tram collided with a
bus carrying passengers from Italy, which caused the tram to derail
and fall over like the common cockroach.
I am happy to tell you that only 9 passengers were slightly injured
in this accident !
There was chaos on the streets , when they tried to lift the 20 ton tram
back onto the the rails.
Throughout the afternoon we heard the sound of police and ambulance
sirens, and we were wondering what the commotion was all about.
Although the accident didn't happen very far from where we live, I
am ever so glad I didn't venture into town yesterday -- what a nightmare !

Where's my suitcase ?

2008-04-01T05:34:00.000-07:00

Since my fall on the street last Thursday I've been hanging around home -
mentally licking my wounds, Hooo boy, it really looked as if I've collided
with Mike Tyson.
The day after, I went into town, but if I was smart enough, I'd have stayed
at home.
I walked around with the lost & found Easter egg right below my
right eye ball - all swollen and red!
My top lip turned into an instant shade of purple & blue.
Thank goodness all my other cuts & bruises were invisible to the outside
world - people were staring shamelessly at my battered face - if only my aches and
pains weren't so severe - I received celeb treatment from the townfolk!
BUT, the embarrassment drove me out of town and back home, I just couldn't
stand seeing the pity in these strange faces - THE POOR WOMAN MUST
HAVE A DEMON HUSBAND AT HOME ! ! !

Don't forget an old Ginkgo tree is a tough piece of wood, and I'm doing
just fine!

Now what's with the lost and lonely bit of luggage on the top picture?
I want to know what's going on at the Heathrow Airport in England?
Can a new terminal cause such havoc on such a wellknown airport?
I believe there is a grand total of 28,000 suitcases lying around with-
out owners! !

I am planning another visit to South Africa within 3 months time from
now, and I have no intention of "losing" my bit 'o luggage again, geeez, the
disappointment is far too great.
The reason why I'm mentioning London here is because I will be flying
to Heathrow, and then take a connecting flight to SA.

At the beginning of Nov. 2007 we attended my Son's wedding in Johannes-
burg, but we
stayed for 2 weeks only, enough time to attend the wedding and spend some
quality time with the other "oldest" friend.
My "oldest" and dearest friend who lives in Cape Town was soul destroyed
that we didn't pay her a visit in the beautiful Cape.
But a wedding, and 2 weeks only, just didn't allow me to pop in for a
hallo and a cuppa strong Rooibos tea!

So, I'll be packing a few important items into a sports bag and tag it
along as hand luggage. This time I'll be playing it very safely!

If it isn't that "nutty as a fruitcake" guy by the name of Bin Laden
and his terrorist buddies who make our lives a misery, it's the staff
at famous Airports who have little control over people's personal be-
longings!
Well, they won't stop me from paying another visit to South Africa
but it sure takes the fun outta flying!!

Why the stork?

2008-03-28T07:23:00.001-07:00

In our time, the White stork has become a symbol of childbirth. Why the stork? Many years ago people did not speak of reproduction to children, so people often told the kids that storks, which were a symbol of happiness and prosperity delivered them.

The word STORK was derived from an old English word STORC which means
stiff or rigid.

The Hebrew word for stork is equivalent to "kind mother" and they are also
a symbol of parental care.

I wonder how many bloggers or readers believed in the story of the stork
who is responsible for bringing the babies ? !

Growing up as an only child wasn't ever easy, and although I
often expressed my wish for a brother or a sister, I still had hopes
that some day the big bird will make a U turn to our house and
leave us a small bundle of joy.

Timber! ! ! !

2008-03-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

The Russians believe that if you drink a lot of tea, you will live
to a ripe old age, but if I don't stop falling over my own feet, I
certainly won't live long enough to tell the story of my love
for a good strong cup o' tea!

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I will have is a cup
of stong coffee, after that, it's tea all thru the morning.

This afternoon, I took my dog for her usual walk, but as I crossed the
street, I tripped ( goodness knows how) and I fell to the ground!

I don't remember a hump on the road that could have caused the incident, but
when it happened, I realized that I was going down and I'm about
to kiss the cold hard pavement ! The usual slow motion effect!!
What a bummer, and that in the middle of the street!

As I picked myself off the street, I felt the burning pain in my face, due
to the tar paved street, and as I took a glimpse of the dog, she had that
look in her eye "Hey Mate, what you doing lying on the street, leave that
to me!"
There I lay spread out like jam, like a better dressed tramp, but I got up ,
brushed the dirt off my jacket and looked left then right, in the hope that
no one caught sight of the spectacle right on their street.
I was lucky, no one was looking!

When I bought a little something at the Kiosk, not far from my
antics on the street, the sales woman at the Kiosk asked "What's with all the blood
on your hands Lady?" (perhaps she thought that Freddy from Elm street
has arrived in Switzerland!)

Maybe all this tea drinking isn't doing me all that good as it does
the Russian folk, but, I'm a little Ginco tree, and they're known to
live up to thousands of years, with or without the tea! (Snigger)

One a penny two a penny.......

2008-03-24T15:06:00.001-07:00

I didn't want a chocolate Easter egg, and I
didn't want an Easter bunny.
All I wanted for Easter is a HOT CROSS BUN!
I didn't get that lucky because hot cross buns are unknown in Swit-
zerland.
So, I've been feasting my eyes and teasing my tastebuds by just
looking at the picture above.
Thanks to http://simmy.typepad.com/ I just had to copy and
paste her picture of these delicious treats.

I wonder how many bloggers were so lucky to fill their
bellies with steamy freshly baked
HOT CROSS BUNS ! ?

http://simmy.typepad.com/

More about the monster garden

2008-03-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

It's absolutely freezing in our corner of the world, but this afternoon
I braved the cold by leaving my warm and cozy 4 walls to catch a
breath of fresh air.
We've had a little snowfall, as predicted, but it doesn't change
the fact that we're feeling the bitter cold right at the start of Springtime.
I don't want to be a pain in the butt by writing about the same old
sad and sorry story over and over again, I just want to show you (one
last time) what I've discovered in the "little paradise" just across the street
from where we live.
This is supposed to be a flower bed, but until today I haven't
noticed any changes done to what's been growing wildly here. This is what I saw today, it looks as if the gardener got stuck in and
did a little something by cutting down some of the rubbish that's
flourishing in the flowerbed. All I see is a bunch of weeds.

I have no idea what this is in aid of, to me it looks like one loooong
pedestrian sign - they forgot to change the colour to yellow (Oops,
perhaps it's still in the gardener's plan)
At the end of the " pedestrian lines" the Kindergarten is visible.

This is the entrance to the Kindergarten as well as the playground.
I could never leave my small child here and go to work!!!

This is what it looked like 20 days ago

This what it looked like this afternoon.

This place was once so beautiful and they could have

left it all as it was.

It's almost as if they have no idea what to do with all this ground, and

I get the feeling (it's visible on the pics) once they get started in one

corner, they leave the work dangling to mess up in another, so

until the evil gremlin family is still at large,I will not post another

entry about this monster garden.

Weeping ukulele

2008-03-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this video and I hope you'll enjoy this

lovely old song, played long ago by the late George Harrison

on the guitar.

I think it sounds even better played on the ukulele.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9mEKMz2Pvo

Happy Easter

2008-03-19T12:18:00.001-07:00

Remember me? I'm alive and well, eventhough I haven't blogged for
over a week.
Our weather's taken a wrong turn and WE'RE FREEZING over here!
I must admit I've stayed "put" 'cos it's much cozier - In the meantime
I'll remain quiet and wait patiently for Summer to show us the Sunny
side of life!

I've kept my ears open and I am constantly on the look out for

something interesting to blog about, but so far I haven't come across

anything proper to post.

You know the feeling?

At some or other stage during our blogging life, we all get stung by this

nasty little creature called the blogger virus!

Luckily viruses can be cured, it's just a matter of good medicine

and resting time to get us on the go again!

You all take care now and

HAVE A GREAT EASTER ! !

Sunday morning warm up.

2008-03-08T14:24:00.001-08:00

All together now - let's dance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEVyDmcF7u0
This is where I found this funny video, thank you kindly
Bits and pieces.
http://www.bitsandpieces1.blogspot.com/

Pain in the butt !

2008-03-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Although Spring has sprung, yesterday morning we woke up to find just
about everything covered in snow, and I was surprised to find a tree covered
in white blossoms on the grounds of our "little paradise" in the middle of our
street.

On a few ocassions I have blogged about this Hotel, just across the road

from where we live, a lovely place to take the dog for a walk, ( without any

threats coming from the "parkie" ) A year ago they dug up the entire lawn,
and for the life of me I can't tell you why because the "new" lawn doesn't look
any better than the "old" one.

A year later and this is what it looks like - no difference what so ever!

On the other side of the Hotel, with nothing but lush green grass

where the Hotel guests (including doggy and me) could sit and enjoy

the sounds of birds tweeting away.

The so called gardener (if and when he does a little of that) decided to dig

a large square hole into the lawn, so with

great anticipation I watched and waited.

Until this day I don't have a clue what the giant size hole was in aid of,

because it looks as if the weeds have completely taken over during the

entire Summer and Winter.

Then there is the sorry story of the dry fountain.

It is just one of the many water fountains you'll see in Switzerland, ex-

cept for this one, there is no water flowing - not even a drop for a

thirsty dog during the Summer time!

Let's take a peep inside the fountain - nothing there except

rain water and leaves from the last Winter season (did I say dry?)

But, my moaning and grumbling isn't done yet.

When I entered the Hotel grounds again today, I was horrified to

see a bunch of garden workers.

Oh no, whatever do they have in mind now again?! ! !

These people spend a fortune on gardeners but no matter

how much money or effort, when the job's done, the place looks

like a dog's breakfast!

As I walked along with Fuji, I came across my favorite

seat, just a concrete block, but somehow I've managed to claim

it for myself - because the Hotel guests prefer the garden chairs.

Goodness knows what they have in mind with my "chair" because

the gardeners have bolted the large concrete block right

out of it's resting place.

2 Years ago, everything about this "safe little haven" was

as idylic as can be - until the owner or whoever is responsible for the chaos

decided to cause havoc around the Hotel grounds.

Honost to goodness, these nonsensical plans are a pain in the

butt and the garden isn't loooking any better, not to mention

the peace and quiet that's gone to smithereens!

There are many things about the Swiss folk that grieves me, but their

"gardening skills" - most definately at the top of my list!

Isn't it amazing how much lighter one feels after a lttle bit o' complaining! !

Mad mad Emma, what a dilema!

2008-03-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 1st March, hurricane Emma made her grand entrance

by causing absolute havoc in Germany and many parts of

Europe - what is this nasty girl telling us?

Perhaps she's saying "Forget about Spring, you've had your fun

by enjoying a fabulously mild Winter!"

The top picture shows a bus that was completely swept off the road

by the storm caused by the nasty little lady! Just look at

the snow!

Luckily, here in Switzerland we didn't feel the "pinch" that bad,

except for rain and an evil blowing wind, which made it impossible to

find the slightest bit of shelter under a topsy turned umbrella.

In Germany people were warned not to leave their homes or

to travel by car - which is not always possible, but to stay on the

safe side, I practically stayed at home all week end.

That isn't something I enjoy doing, but I really didn't want

to end up in hospital because I was hit by a plant pot that

went "gone with the wind!"

The Swiss folk love to display their potted plants on the window sills

and on their balconies - fatal for pedestrians "down under!"

Nevertheless, I remained home, safe and dry, and by doing so

I had oooodles of time to work on the crazy patchwork bag for

my "oldest" and dearest friend who lives far across the sea in

South Africa.

Later this week, I will show pictures of the work and

the colours chosen by my friend.

Busy busy!

2008-02-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

When I look at the picture above, I get ever so envious, because ever

since I've been involved in my hobby called Crazy patchwork, I've been

going insane for the lack of space.

Space glorious space is what I need for all my pieces of fabric and

trimmings.

I have found place for almost all the bits and pieces that I need for my

hobby work, but boy oh boy, the moment I get started, it's like looking

for a needle in a haystack.

I know the stuff is there - but WHERE did I place it.

My dearest friend will be celebrating a birthday in about 9 days time,

and she's "placed" an order for a crazy patchwork bag in the colours of her

choice.

Besides digging and messing about in the garden, (no such luck here)

nothing gives me more pleasure than doing a little bit o' needle work!

If you're interested in seeing some of the work I've done in the past, then

please click onto my other blog and come have a little look-see.
http://eyesofthedragonfly.blogspot.com/

African Version

2008-02-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

Dog saves abandoned baby from forest
The dog was looking for food for her newborn puppies when she reportedly saved a 2-week-old baby girl from a forest in Kenya.
The dog found the baby in a forest south of the capital Nairobi. She then took the infant, wrapped in a dirty, black cloth, and carried it across a busy road and through a barbed-wire fence and placed it close to her own puppies.A witness, Stephen Thoya says: "I heard the sound of a baby crying, (when) I looked closely, I saw a dog carrying a baby as it crossed the road."The owner of the heroic dog, Mary Adhiambo says her dog lay next to the baby and cared for it until it was spotted by human rescuers. Ms Adhiambo washed the baby who's umbilical chord was covered with maggots. After cleaning the baby Mary Adhiambo rushed it to hospital.
At the hospital, the 3.3 kilogram child was christened Angel. Doctors confirmed the newborn baby girl had been out in the open for at least two days after being abandoned.Dr Jonathan Micheni said: "An infant of such a tender age, having spent two nights in the cold, is likely to develop respiratory infections and we have put her on a treatment to prevent any bacterial or fungal infections."These kinds of incidents in which babies are abandoned are very common in East African countries like Kenya, where over 56% of the population lives on less than US $1 a day.This is ultimate proof that dogs realy are a man's best friend!

German Version

2008-02-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

Now matter how hard I try, I just cannot imagine how any woman,

who's has just given birth to a newborn baby, can leave the small

helpless infant alone on the sidewalk or even in a garbage can to

fend for itself, is beyond my comprehension.

If the new mother is too afraid to mention this to her

family or she's left alone and destitude and has no means to support

herself and a newborn, there is a way out!

In Germany there are safe, warm and secure places where the

unwanted baby can be left and it will be taken care of, until a new

family can be found for the poor little button.

Even though I'm English speaking, I cannot fînd the correct

word for the "Baby Klappe"

Never before have I heard of places such as

these , therefor I cannot find the English

word for the situation of "Baby in desperate need!"

If you look at the pictures above you will get the idea of what

this help for a desperate mother and baby looks like.

Once the baby is placed into the safety of the crib, and not left on the

street, it will survive the bitter cold and it will naturally receive

the care that every newborn deserves.

Call back the (snakey) past.

2008-02-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

Due to the fact that I grew up as an only child, I lead a

very protected and molly coddled life with Mom and Dad.

Mom never allow me to go swimming with a crowd

of school friends - therefor I learned to swim many years later, and

school excursions was a definate NO NO!!

So, whenever this born and bred "city slicker" had the opportunity

to visit Grandma and Grandad on the farm in Oudtshoorn (SA) I let my

"hair down" good and proper !

Most of my childhood memories were spent among my cousins

on that farm, and if one of them were not prepared to "come out and play"

I'd simply disappear for hours on end - avoiding all warnings

about the dangers lurking around.

Not far from the farm house was a small stream of water that

flows down into the big river, this stream of water was also

one of my many favorite places to play.

One day as I was hopping and skipping along the water's edge ,

a snake suddenly (see picture above) appeared right in front of me.

Perhaps it was fright or perhaps it was my nature (I was always

running and jumping) but whatever it was, I took one huge jump

and practically flew over the snake.

Later that evening, while we were all sitting around the supper table, I

mentioned my incident with the brown snake with the white stripes.

Naturally Mom turned a whiter shade of pale!

The snake is known as a SKAAPSTEKER, and farmers believed

that it bites and kills the sheep, but this "back fanged" snake

is only moderately poisonous to humans.

Then again on another occasion, I insisted on carrying a hay bale

on my back, I reckoned if the black farm workers can do so, why

can't I!

One of the farm workers arranged a small bale for me to carry,

but little did any of us know that I was transporting a snake

on my back.

When my "job" was done, I dumped the hay bale onto the

ground, and as the straw bale reached the ground, a fairly long snake

crawled out and slithered away.

Believe me, I enjoyed every moment of the action and commotion, but

poor ol' Mom had to be revived with a queer smelling medical

aid called smelling salts!!

I can easily sit here all night and write about my escapades on that

farm, but my thanks go to a blogger friend (you know who you are)

who enspired me and placed the idea in my head to write a little

something about yesteryear!

LET'S START THE DAY WITH A SMILE !

2008-02-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.

Go out and give the

world a smile, you'll feel a whole lot better!

HAVE A GOOD MONDAY! ! !

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !

2008-02-14T10:59:00.003-08:00

Not exactly a love story , but have a good laugh and enjoy a
WONDERFUL VALENTIN'S DAY !!!

An Illinois man who left the snow-filled streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day. When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick e-mail.
Unable to find the scrap of paper on which he had written her e-mail address, he did his best to type it in from memory. Unfortunately, he missed one letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly woman whose husband had passed away only the day before. When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:
DEAREST WIFE:
JUST GOT CHECKED IN. EVERYTHING PREPARED FOR YOUR ARRIVAL TOMORROW.
YOUR LOVING HUSBAND
P.S. SURE IS HOT DOWN HERE

The Carnival's done and dusted.

2008-02-14T06:13:00.001-08:00

This year the FASNACHT - Carnival started earlier than usual,
as a lot of Swiss folk will tell you, the purpose of the Carnival is
to shooh the Winter away, but we've been having the loveliest
weather for the last couple of weeks - So what's going to
happen now? We've already had our Spring in Winter - can
we now look forward to Winter during Springtime? I really
don't hope so.
Nevertheless, I think everyone who partook in the Carnival, yes
and even the thousands of visitors from near and far could
enjoy the festivities and not having to freeze their fingers to
the bone - as I do remember a few decades ago!

This year I've taken quite a load of photos, but I'm posting only
a few on the blog (THANKS BLOGGER FOR ALLOWING)

I'm a little lost for words, perhaps it's the excitement of blogger

being so nice about me posting so many pics, but I think these

pictures will speak for itself.

To round it all off, here a few night scenes.

Snippets of the Fasnacht - Carnival

2008-02-14T05:47:00.000-08:00

We came across these two characters making a very pompous
appearance, but they were quite willing to pose for us.

Masks and drums standing against the walls along the street

while the merrymakers take a well deserved break.

Don't leave home in a hurry ! !

2008-02-11T11:58:00.001-08:00

LET'S HAVE A LAUGH !

"I was due for an appointment with the gynecologist later in the week.
Early one morning, I received a call from the doctor's office to tell methere was a cancellation and the 9:30am appointment was available.
I took it. I had only just packed everyone off to work and school, andit was already around 8:45 am. The trip to his office took about 35minutes, so I didn't have any time to spare.
As most women do, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene whenmaking such visits, but this time I was not going to be able to make the full effort.
So, I rushed upstairs, threw off my pajamas, wet the washcloth that wassitting next to the sink, and gave myself a quick wash in "that area" tomake sure I was at least presentable. I threw the washcloth in theclothesbasket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment.
I was in the waiting room for only a few minutes when I was called in.Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure you do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended that I was in Paris or some other such glamorous place a million miles away.
I was a little surprised when the doctor said, "My, we have made anextra effort this morning, haven't we?" I didn't respond.
After the appointment, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day was normal... some shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc.
After school when my six year old daughter was playing, she called outfrom the bathroom, "Mommy, where's my washcloth?"
I told her to get another one from the cupboard.
She replied, "No!!!".
She yelled, " I need the one that was here by the sink, it had all myglitter and sparkles saved inside it!"

Eye Witness again ?

2008-02-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Why is it whenever I set foot out of my 4 walls, I get to see people

fall in the street, or fall out of a tram, or fall right under a tram?

At this very spot I waited so the bus could turn left, and the road will be

safe for me to cross the street, when neither the busdriver nor the cyclist

saw the danger before it almost turned into a fatal accident.

The guy on the bicycle was in a world of his own and the bus driver

had his eyes somewhere else, only when this huge bus bumped into the

(not paying attention to the bus)

young man on his bicycle, did the bus driver

step on his brakes!

There I was, standing on the sidewalk with horror on my face when the

sound of bus hitting man on bicycle brought the traffic to a halt!

LUCKILLY, the guy on the bicycle was "hit back to reality" when the

blow from the bus made the bus driver stop and the cyclist stumbled to keep

himself from being slung from his bicycle.

The two men "oggled" one another, and the cyclist went up to the bus

driver (who never even made the slightest attempt to step from

the driver's seat, and had a few words with the guy who had a guardian

angel looking after him on this day! !

Will somebody pleease stop the world, I wanna get off!!!

Vampire Plant? ?

2008-02-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

For some time now I've been wanting to post about the strangest plant
I've ever possessed in my entire lifetime!
I've searched the Internet for any available information about this
plant, but unfortunately I've had no success to the whereabouts of this
unique and most unusual flora.
As soon as the day light or even just the slightest bit of sun light
shines on this plant, it will droop and show signs of "help, I'm
dying of thirst in the bone dry desert " - as you can see on the top picture.

The moment it gets dark, the little begger will stand guard and it

looks like "he's" ready to spread "his" leaves, step right outta "his"

plant pot to hit the town and do his evil little thing!!!

Just look at the picture below, and you'll see what I mean!

Could this be an escaped convict from the dungeons of a Transylvanian prison,

or did someone steal this plant from Dracula's castle, - and yes, you've guessed

it, I was the one to take a fancy to the little bloodsucker, and buy it!!

If anyone out there in Bloggyland has any valuable information

about the whereabouts of this creepy little greenleaves - I will

appreciate and consider all comments!

And there will be light, Eeeeh! Hot water!

2008-02-05T05:57:00.001-08:00

Taking a bath in steaming hot water seems like the most natural thing to

do in this day and age, but for the past year and a half all of us had to be

content with a bath filled with luke warm water.

Not a very pleasant experience in a cold country, if I dare say so!

Althoug all the tenants have complained about our cold water situation,

and many visits from the craftsmen, we're still saddled with miserable cold water!!

We have a tenant living directly above us who comes from India, and

believe me if it wasn't for him (who doesn't care a monkey's about how

much cold water he lets out before he gets HOT water, we, who live in

the apartment right underneath him, won't even get the whiff of luke

warm water) because when he lets out tons of cold, it enables us down

under to feel warm water on our skins again!

For the life of me, I don't know what the craftsmen have been doing

when they tried to fix our water problem. IT REMAINED COLD!!

This morning we were all woken up with the sound of boring and

drilling, it was the craftsmen at work again!!!!!

Low and behold!!!

This must be a craftsman of another calibre, because he found the

problem!

With a song in my heart and a dance in my step, I can tell you,

AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF, WE HAVE HOT WATER AGAIN!!!
This afternoon when I took doggy dog for her walk, I saw the culprit
lying against the wall just outside our building, and being a blogger,
and thinking about things to write , I dashed upstairs to the
apartment to fetch my camera.
In the middle of the street I managed to take two pictures of the
rotted pipes that made our lives a total misery for so long, unfortu-
nately I completely forgot to take a picture of Fuji, my dog's face, she
looked at me with total disgust, she must have thought, "Wow, we
haven't even gone for a walk and now she's taking me back upstairs again...!"

Please click on the pic for a better view of the nasty little pipes!!

2008-01-31T06:31:00.000-08:00

As I was reading through a few entries of a blogger, I came

across something which enspired and encouraged me to write

the following.

Life doesn't always treat us kindly, therefore we don't always feel up

to smiling and to show our sunny side!

Many of us are confronted with problems large or small!

Some of these problems we can solve, some we can't!

Many of us are faced with sadness and filled with sorrow - no

matter how, we have to face the music and get on with

the show - no matter how hard!

Many of us don't feel too well at times, but we have to put on

a brave face , and somehow, make it through the day!

Being part of the human race means we are confronted with

an endless list of troubles and therefore we get tired and over-

whelmed at times!

Some of us will hide our problems from friends, family and

the rest of the world.

Some people will share their trials and tribulations on the

blog with tens of thousands of other folks, and in doing so

they will make new and compassionate friends.

It doesn't matter what we blog about, it's always great to

make new friends - even though we don't ever get to see what

they look like - but then again, who needs a face when the blogger

behind the scene is a charming person!

Since I've been blogging (almost 2 years ago) I have been very fortunate

to make friends with people from all parts of the world, and I am com-

municating by e-mail with a few of these charming people.

A handful of my blogger friends no longer blog, but we still stay in touch.

The other handful have lost interest - but no matter what their reasons

are, I am sorry that they're gone, because losing a friend is always hard.

Fastenwähe

2008-01-26T04:03:00.000-08:00

The Fastenwähe is a pastry we get to enjoy only around this
time of year.
To translate this word, it should mean fasting pastry, but it has ab-
solutely nothing to do with religion.
The Fastenwähe made it's very first appearance way back in the year
1554, not in Basel, but in the Aargauischen Rheinfelden (German border)
It was known as a luxury pastry and eaten only by the rich.
This pastry is also similar to the Früchte und Käsewähe (fruit & cheese)
which originates from Elsass, France, dating back to the 18th Century.

Today, it is an inexpensive pastry that can be bought and enjoyed by
everyone, and not only by the rich.

As soon as I spot this pastry - sprinkled with just a teensy bit
of aniseed - either in the Baker's window or in the local Super-
market, I'll be first in line to buy the pastry with the strange form .
Simply because it tastes soo good!

Dackel versus Rottweiler

2008-01-22T10:39:00.001-08:00

This bouncy little guy is only a "doggy guest" staying with
the tennants

who live on the top floor of our block of apartments.
A friendly little creature who gets very excited as soon as
he gets out of the lift, onto the street and sniffs the fresh air.
He also has a soft spot for my Fuji girl and wouldn't miss a
quick warm-up game with her for all the doggy food that
is on sale at the local Supermarket.

This "new kid on the block" is the latest newcomer

to join our building.

Mr. CC says he's as soft as lamb chops, but honost to goodness, I

refuse to believe his side of the story.

For as long as I can remember I've always loved dogs - all shapes

and sizes - makes no difference to me what breed either.

For some unexplained reason, I am dead scared of a Rottweiler.

When I'm on the road taking Fuji for her daily roundabout and a

Rottweiler makes a bee-line in our direction - panic gets the better

of me and I will cross the street before the dog gets a whiff of my fear.

Earlier this evening it was Mr. CC's turn to take our pooch for a stroll, but

when he returned home he was just in time to witness a sensation

which I wouldn't have missed for all the Rooibos tea in Southern Africa.

No no, it's not as bad as you think.

The bouncy little doggy guest obviously didn't approve to the

new kid on the block - and left him with tooth marks,

and the only serious damage, was the Rottweiler's pride.

Who knows, perhaps there is a soft side to the Rottweiler clan, and

perhaps the new kid earned himself a juicy lamb chop for showing

his best side.

I wonder how many Rottweiler dogs will return home after an

incident/insult like that, and lick his wounds in silence? !

Act of Kindness ?

2008-01-16T03:46:00.000-08:00

A man was riding in the back of his limosine when he saw a man

eating grass by the roadside. He ordered the driver to stop and

he got out to investigate.

"Why are you eating grass?" he asked the man.

"I don't have any money for food" the poor man replied.

"Oh please come to my house!"

"But sir, I have a wife and 4 children!"

"Bring them along" the rich man said.

They climbed into the limo.

Once underway the poor felow said "Sir, you are too kind, thank

you for taking us all in."

The rich man replied, "No, you don't understand, the grass at my house

is over 3 feet tall!"

This joke reminds me of something that happened to me last

year while shopping in town.

I was approached by a rather shabby and poor looking woman - I do

believe she was from ex - Jugoslawien.

She told me she had not eaten for a while and was very hungry.

Perhaps I'm a soft sucker for lies like that, but I handed her a 5 Swiss

Frank coin, not an awful lot, but for that amount she could buy a fresh

bread roll filled with a variety of yummy goodies at one of the

many bakeries in our town. As soon as she snatched the money from my

palm, she told me that they have no place to stay and her eldest son is

sleeping on one of the benches at the Main station.

And "Can you give me 20 Swiss Franks to help my Son?!"

I got the message, smiled and moved on without giving her any

more money.

During my stay in town, I have seen that very woman beg for

money at least half a dozen times.

That same week I had to go downtown again, and believe me there

she stood on the sidewalk - better dressed than myself!

The police must have been notified because a few weeks later I

read in our local newspaper that a woman was arrested for

conning people in the heart of our town.

The world is filled with different people, honost and dishonost

rich and poor, to mention just a few.

Although I have grumbled moaned and complained about many things

in and about Switzerland, simply because things are so very different to

my hometown and living here is not the same as enjoying a 3week ski-ing

vacation, but because the Social security in this country is better than

anywhere else in the world, no-one is homeless and no-one needs to go

hungry! !

Not Dead, just Plain Lazy.

2008-01-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that I haven't blogged since the 1st January, it really feels

a lot longer.

My head is buzzing with all sort of things to do - but no matter how hard I

try, I can't seem to get started.

Let's just put the blame on this brand new year!

For now I'll remain with the Polar bears - please

read below.

Another Star is Born !

2008-01-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Isn't this little creature just too gorgeous for words?!
It's true what they say "Germany just can't get enough of little
Polar bears"
This is the latest edition born in the Nuremberg Zoo, but the cub was
seperated from his disturbed Mother.
A little more than a year ago another little bear was born in the Berlin
Zoo, but the poor little thing was rejected by his Mom (sad but true)
but was reared by a very loving and human Zoo keeper
As you'll all know who I'm talking about - the Polar bear who caused a
sensation with his every appearance, and who's pictures went around the
world - the one and only Knut
A year later Knut is an extremely large boy, and I will have to travel all the
way to Berlin to get a sneak preview of the big guy.
I would dearly love to tickle his furry belly button (but only if someone will
blindfold him )
I could loose the hand that did the tickling! !

Not so long ago a giant Panda, on loan from China gave birth to a
Mini Panda bear in a Zoo in Austria.
Let's hope the little fellow makes it all the way to the top!
Please note the tiny baby in the Mother's mouth.
So come on Switzerland, you're next in line to help us complete the
circle of "Rich and famous" babies to be born around our part of Europe!

Pearls - a Man's Best Friend?

2008-01-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

Just imagine you're dining in a Restaurant, enjoying
every mouthful of your food - when suddenly you bite onto
something hard (I can assure me, my appetite will leave
me almost instantly, 'cause my first thought will be of 'lil
ol' me sitting in the Dentist's chair!)
But for the couple in question - no Dentist was required!

George and his wife Leslie Brock, in South Florida, spent

the day at the beach, later that afternoon they stopped at a

place called "Dave's Last Resort & Raw Bar" for a bite to eat.

George was halfway through his plate of steamed clams when

he chompped onto something hard.

"Few of these beauties are round and few are a lovely

colour, so this is rare!" said gemologist Antoinette Hatlins.

"I think they have found something precious and lovely and

valuable!"

All I can say is "What a lucky bite - what a way to start the

New Year! ! !"

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

2007-12-31T07:02:00.001-08:00

I'd like to wish each and every blogger, near and far, and

every blogger reader from the East to the West, a

very very healthy and a prosperous NEW YEAR 2008!

May everything you touch turn to gold ! ! !

Last minute little bag for DIL's sister

2007-12-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

2007-12-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace
The gladness of Christmas give you hope
The warmth of Christmas grant you love.
Author unknown

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL !

Let's do it the French way

2007-12-20T09:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas is around the corner, and I haven't bought a single
present for anyone in my family!
This morning I went down town, with not a clue what to buy.

Two Sundays before Christmas, we're given the opportunity

to shop from 1pm to 6pm, which is an extra day for people like me

who shop for that last minute gift.

I don't like buying last minute presents - because it's never the right present.

This year, I think I can blame it on the fact that we arrived back from SA

almost at the end of November and I never realized that I have to move my-

self and get ready for the big Christmas shopping.

So this morning I went down town to have a little look see.

I strolled, looked around and searched for a few hours then

give it up as a bad job.

I decided to go into one of our town's largest bookshops in search of

an English book on embroidery ideas.

(I will post a few of my favorite things and my most loved hobby in

the new year.)

As this is a very large book store, I felt rather lost as where to

start searching, I found a shop assistant who directed me to the English

book department, but

on every ocassion, I was lead a little astray, so the fourth assistant

was nice enough to take me directly to the Dept. where I wanted to be.

When I thanked her for helping me but "Please where are the English

books?" she gave me a surprised look and said,

"Sorry, we don't have these books in English, unless you've ordered

something?!"

Neither my disappointment nor hers could save the day!

Back on the cold and busy street, I licked my wounds for not finding

one single English book in the bookstore, and stepped into the KIOSK

(the place to buy cigarettes, assorted sweets/ chocolates, newspapers

and magazines) and bought the December issue of MARIE CLARE.

A wonderful magazine, jam packed with super ideas for those who

love embroidery and handcrafted goodies !

I don't feel so bad about this glorious magazine being published only

in French - if English is not available, I'll just

geeev it a try, in zeee French waay!

C'est si bon !

Christmas at Home.

2007-12-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas in South Africa is a summer holiday. In December, the southern summer brings glorious days of sunshine that carry an irresistible invitation to the beaches, the rivers, and the shaded mountain slopes. Then the South African holiday season reaches its height. Schools are closed, and camping is the order of the day. In South Africa there is no snow, but it has many flowers, many beautiful varieties of cultivated and wild flowers being in their full pride.
In the cities and towns carolers make their rounds on Christmas Eve. Church services are held on Christmas morning. Christmas Eve celebrations in larger centers include "Carols by Candlelight" and special screen and floor shows.

Homes are decorated with pine branches, and all have the decorated Christmas fir in a corner, with presents for the children around. At bedtime on Christmas Eve, children may also hang up their stockings for presents from Father Christmas.

Many South Africans have a Christmas dinner in the open-air lunch. For many more, it is the traditional dinner of either turkey, roast beef, mince pies, or suckling pig, yellow rice with raisins, vegetables, and plum pudding, crackers, paper hats, and all. In the afternoon, families go out into the country and usually there are games or bathing in the warm sunshine, and then home in the cool of the evening. Boxing Day is also a proclaimed public holiday usually spent in the open air. It falls on December 26 and is a day of real relaxation.

Christmas in Switzerland
A tinkling of a silver bell heralds the arrival of Christkindli - a white clad angel, with a face veil held in place by a jeweled crown. The tree candles are lit as she enters each house and hands out presents from the basket held by her child helpers.

The week before Christmas, children dress up and visit homes with small gifts. Bell ringing has become a tradition, and each village competes with the next when calling people to midnight mass. After the service, families gather to share huge homemade doughnuts called ringli and hot chocolate.

In Switzerland, the Chlausjagen Festival or Feast of St. Nichohlas is celebrated at dusk on 6 December with a procession of "lifeltrager' wearing gigantic illuminated lanterns in the shape of a Bishop's mitre on their heads.
The Swiss wait for the Christ child called Christkindli, to arrive with gifts for all in his reindeer-drawn sleigh.

In Switzerland, during the holiday season the Star Singers or Sternsingers dressed as the Three Kings parade through the streets of cities and towns singing Christmas songs.

In Zurich, Santa visits in a special fairytale tram and gives the children a ride through the city, singing songs with them and sharing a basket full of sweets.

Post gone Missing

2007-12-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

As Christmas is just around the corner, I thought this

true story will be just the thing to blog about.

Just imagine the Christmas cards that you've posted to friends and

family, don't reach their destination, OR, only one of the

cards finds it's way back - 93 years later! !

This post card in the picture, was sent off in 1914 but it strayed and stay-

ed missing for 93 years, and it's now made it's appearance in

Northwest Kansas.

It is indeed a mystery where this card spent most of the last

century, and how is it possible that it wasn't thrown away?!

Truth is stranger than fiction!

Tannenbaum, Ooh Tannenbaum ! Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree!

2007-12-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

Have you decorated your Christmas tree yet? (Here we decorate on
the 24th December)

Have you baked your Christmas cookies yet? (Here we buy the dough

all ready made, but me being a South African, I prefer baking it myself)

Have you sent off all your Christmas cards?

Have you bought all your Christmas prezzies?

Is your Christmas menu all planned for the BIG DAY?

I am still suffering from "jet lag", so I've done very little of the above mentioned

except send off my Christmas cards.

We must slowly but surely get a move on to good ol' Germany for

some thorough food shopping - else we will surely go without that

long awaited Christmas lunch !

The picture above is the ever so famous Christmas tree (in Zürich) decorated

with SWAROVSKI crystals.

Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to see it in person, but

Girl-child is forever raving about it's beauty and splendour!

If you haven't done any of the Christmas duties yet, please have a

look and listen to this, I hope it will help to get you into the Christmas

spirit ! ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMn2r_DQ4CE

Our House, in the middle of the street....!

2007-12-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

Ever since I've started blogging just over a year now, I have been grumbling
and groaning about how I miss my house in South Africa, and how much I miss
gardening, feeling the good earth on my hands, or simply going for a quiet
stroll down to the very bottom end of the garden!

It really isn't easy to be a home owner when you are living in Switzerland, I
kid you not, you must either have mega bucks to afford the walls that
you can call your own, OR you must have a very rich Uncle tucked away
somewhere along the
the family line.

Little ol' me don't have either of the two options mentioned above - poor
as a wee church mouse I am!!

A lot of people living here in Switzerland are in the habbit of hiring a communial
garden.
I cannot give you the size of such a hired garden, but it isn't very big, so most
people will grow a few veggies and a couple of flowers, and they will have only
enough room to place a little garden shed. Some folks will go to all
extremes and get a housy that looks like a "Heidi in the Alps" house"

No matter how much effort you've put into that little house, living
in it is not allowed!

In the very early years of living here, I must admit I have considered
hiring one of those, JUST TO DO A LITTLE GARDENING!!!

But let's be honost here, who in his right mind wants to travel some
distance before he/she can get to his garden.
No way! - I want to step out of my kitchen door or out of my front door
and fall right into MY GARDEN!!

SO, One day while my good friend and I went galavanting again she drove
me to the last house we lived in, in Southern Africa.

We even went to the house we lived in before this one, but for some
unexplained reason, NONE of the photos came to life!!

Unfortunately I couldn't take more pics of this house where we lived
and left behind so many wonderful memories.
As I was clicking away, the new owner appeared, so before he got sus-
picious and think that someone
had criminal intentions, I got back into my friend's car and we disappeared!

Gincoleaves are falling down.........!

2007-12-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

If anyone had a camera handy yesterday morning, this is exactly what

I was doing - but I was doing this in the safety of my own home.

We have a very small threshold that seperates the livingroom from

the entrance hall, and another silly little step that leads from the hallway

into the bedroom.

Whatever the purpose of these silly things, is still a puzzle to me, but

after what had happened to me early yesterday morning, I am

convinced that these blistering things are placed into the floor

just for people to trip over.

I had just finished drinking my second cup of morning coffee, when it

happened.

When I got up from the table and walked over to the bathroom, I tripped,

and made a bee-line straight down to the floor.

I must have hooked onto the threshold, still wearing slippers on my feet,

but the strangest part of the fall - was how I saw it.

Honost to goodness I was not under the influence of alcohol (8.20pm will

be an absolute disgrace, I dare say)

From some dizzy height I was looking down at myself, all in slow motion,

saw the floor coming closer and closer - and came back to reality the moment

I hit the hard floor!

Somehow I tried to ease the fall by holding out my arms and hands

in front of me. (I was going to hit the floor in any case, so that stunt wasn't

going to make any difference)

Moments laterI felt the pain.

My main worry and thoughts were "I must've broken my legg!"

I reached the floor like a ton of bricks (what an awful sound)

The poor ol' legg looks like I've been to some crazy tatto artist, my

hip is bruised and changing colours like a camelion, but apart

from beeing battered and bruised - NADA is broken!

The part that suffered most, was my left wrist, and by midday I was

in such agony (besides the fact that I couldn't do anything ) I was con-

vinced I was going to pay a visit to the emergency hospital and have

the wrist x-rayed.

But, here I am, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, (tail looked darn

awful yesterday) typing my story away.

Perhaps I have become a little paranoid about the Christmas season, be-

cause last year at exactly this time my husband Mr. CC was lying in the

Intensive care unit.

That would have been a piece of cake if a broken or sprained wrist was

the cause ! !

So please everyone, watch out for thresholds and hidden obsticles in

and around your homes! ! !

Another Spitting Plus for Africa.

2007-12-08T05:18:00.000-08:00

A newly discovered giant spitting Cobra , meauring nearly 9 feet
and carrying enough venom to kill at least 15 people is seen in
this picture released by WILDLIFE DIRECT December 7, 2007.
Wildlife Direct, a conservation group, said the Cobras were the world's
largest and had been identified as unique.
The species has been named Naja Ashei after James Ashe, who
founded Bio-ken snake farm on KENYA'S tropical coast where the
gigantic serpents are found.

It is known whenever the Cobra or Rinkhals rears up, he will

aim straight at your face when he does his "spitting bit" and some

species can "spit" up to 3 metres, the poison is ejected in a spray

and the chances of you NOT getting the deadly poison in your eyes are

slim.

I dread to think what kind of tricks this new found beauty has up

his "sleeves!"

Time

2007-12-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

Time is the only thing that lies between a problem and a solution.

During that time we sometimes need to act swift and effectively,

but most of the time we just need to relax and sit it out.

How very true, but how often do we handle a problem in this

way by staying cool calm and collected?

I don't know who wrote these wise words, but I found it in a

South African magazine.

A little shopping down South?

2007-12-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

While we were in South Africa, my Son took a week's leave so

that he could show us around, and naturally the womenfolk (Girl-

child and myself) wanted to see all the new changes and the shopping

areas of the City where we once lived.

As all you Ladies will agree with me, shopping isn't

exactly a man's kind of thing, but somehow we managed to "sprint"

through one or two large Malls situated in the Randburg and

Sandton Area.

The following week I made up for lost shopping time and my good

friend took us to a Mall called CLEAR WATER.

What caught my eye was this "plant" known as the BITTER ALOE

but if you'll take a closer look, you will see that all the "leaves" are made

from tiny green beads.
Later that day my friend took us to the all familiar Shopping Centre

in Randburg called the HYPERAMA.

In the past year I've been complaining about foodstuff which is un-

known here in Switzerland - so just to give you all an idea of what I'd

call a Supermarket, I simply had to take a picture of this foodstore, and

there's plenty more to this picture, but I couldn't get it all onto the pic.

Clearwater Mall is where I bought most of my souvenirs that has now

gone with the wind when my luggage was broken into.

Here is a picture of the NELSEN MANDELA SQUARE, here again

lots to see and lots to buy (if your money bag) allows.

On the far left hand side my Son is seen, having a chat on his

Mobile phone.

This picture of Nelson Mandela was quite impressive, the

statue is situated outside the Mall surrounded by Restaurants,

Office blocks and the Michaelangelo Hotel, for more info and fabulous

pictures click on the address below.
http://service.gmx.net/de/cgi/derefer?TYPE=3&DEST=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyesonafrica.net%2Fsouth-african-safari%2Fmichelangelo-hotel-imgs.htm

The First Advent

2007-12-02T13:52:00.001-08:00

The Advent tradition ia a religious celebration in preparation for
the arrival (or Advent) of the Christ child.

Today we set up an Advent wreath on the first Sunday . The fourth be-

fore Christmas.

Another year has almost gone and soon we'll celebrate Christmas in the

traditional Austrian, German and Swiss custom.

As I took this picture, Fuji made herself very visible, an absolute

must for her whenever she sees the camera.

Friends Reunited

2007-11-29T13:58:00.000-08:00

On a much happier note I would like to share some photos of
the meeting with my "old" friend and her daughter on the first
morning we got to see one another after a handful of years.
As two very young girls we worked together for the same
company, and we became great buddies.

Soon after each one of us got married, our paths seperated, we've
been in constant contact with one another for a number of years.
What a happy reunion this has been, and the pictures here
will be forever treasured.

When I told my friend that I will be splashing her picture all over the
Internet, she only laughed!
Even though we've been seperated for many years, our friendship
has stood the test of time.
This poor family has definately gone through some bad times, be-
cause her husband was shot through the face in broad daylite, and
directly after the traumatic experience, my dear friend got cancer.
As if things weren't bad enough, her Son was hijacked and held
hostage for a couple of hours and was released only after they managed
to get an amount of money from him.
Until this day I don't know what changed their minds not to shoot
and kill her Son.

South Africa will always remain my country of birth, and no
matter how homesick I may be at this very moment, I doubt if
I'll ever return to my country of origin - simply due to the
daily crime.

My very bestest friend seen here in the white and pink, and yours
truly Gincoleaves in the red.

Lost & Found?

2007-11-28T10:29:00.001-08:00

One week after we've arrived back home from our trip, I was
getting very edgy about the missing luggage, so with the help of my
friend's Son down in South Africa, we finally got the missing piece de-
livered to our front door today.

They couldn't wait to break open the lock that was on the case and
help themselves to my most valuable souvenirs and gifts.

I am soul destroyed that something like this can happen!
Do these things happen to only some of us, or are some of us
selected to suffer such great disappointment ?

I guess we'll never know the answer to that question ! ! ! !

Run Chicken Run.

2007-11-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

These guys, known as the Guinea fowl, were everywhere, always searching
for something to munch.
This bird looks very much like the Turkey, but I doubt if the family
will have enough to eat around the Thanksgiving table.
Where ever I turned, this lot appeared in a crowd, not a shy kind of
bird, but heaven help you if you should make a sudden move, they'd
squeal and run like blazes.

Bird watching.

2007-11-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

My Mom always said I resemble my Dad in more ways than one, well
I don't quite agree with her theory, but I've certainly inherited
the man's love for birds (the feathery kind - snigger)
So because of that, I'll start with a few words about my bird-
watching.
Unfortunately my stay in South Africa wasn't long enough to allow
me all the bird spying.
One morning I deliberately left a bread roll out on the garden table in the
self catering Apartment where we lived - and all I had to do was wait
for results, it wasn't long after I'd left when this little
yellow Finch lady came along and enjoyed her free breakfast.
To take this pic, I had to manouvre my camera between a small opening
through the curtain. Click on for a better look. Early one morning while everyone was sound asleep, I crept out of the
Apartment armed with the camera in search of a few sights.
I was just about to give it up as a bad idea, when the noise of some
squawking birds made me look up - and right above my head were
about 7 or 8 finch nests.
The behaviour of the lady Finch will always amuse me, the male
will work for hours on end to build the perfect nest, but, if Madam isn't
happy with his work, she will rip and tear the entire nest to pieces, as I'm
sure you all know how dissatisfied the little lady can get.

That same morning I heard the noise of this bird, known to most South

Africans as the HA DE DA and I had to take a pic.

If you click on the picture you will see that this bird looks very

much like the Kiwi.

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to go in search of more lovely

birds, and believe me, the country is alive with the sights and sounds

of them.

It must have been the excitement of spending the first night back
in my country which woke me up at 3.45am, it was quite dark outside,
but the bird sounds which came from the trees all around the Apartment
was unbelievable - perhaps there were only 5 different type of birds
singing their morning song, but it sounded like about 500 birds in
the choir.

I am still wondering how I managed to live for so long without those
glorious wonders of nature.

Bye bye sunshine

2007-11-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

When we arrived back home on Wednesday morning, that old devil just

couldn't wait to show us his sharp claws!

While we waited to collect our luggage, the passengers grew less

and so did the luggage.

I waited patiently for my familiar bag to show itself, but waiting for

what seemed an eternity, I had to except the fact that it wasn't

going to appear on the Airport carousel.

That's when the "fun" started, and believe me, I wasn't laughing!!

I clearly remembered the day when we checked in at the South

African Airport, and I remember the young trainee who behaved very

confused and nervous about the luggage story, and I remember Girl-child's

words to me "Mom, I don't like the look of this guy, at the rate he's going

our luggage will go astray!"

And I said to her "Please don't paint the devil on the wall!!"

Anyway, we went straight to the lost and found office to report the

missing bag.

Little did I know there was much more in store before the

day was done with me.

Whilst driving home I checked with Mr. CC if he's got the housekeys

ready because I'm looking forward to a hot soak in the bathtub.

That's when he told me that the keys are tucked away in his carcoat - and

the carcoat is packed into the missing luggage !!!!!!

I do believe at that very moment I turned into the devil himself.

When we arrived home we contacted the Agency - surely they will be able to

help us out of this awful mess by producing a spare key to the Apartment ? ! ? !

Two hours later the Lady from the Agency arrived at our front

door and she tried to open the door with the "spare" key - and

would you believe me - the *%ç#@*`^%/*"#@ key did not fit!!!!!

The dumb and devastated look on the woman's face was enough to make

me sit on the steps in front of my door, and all I wanted to do was cry (but I

didn't, I was too tired and angry)

I threatened to sleep on the cold marble floor if she didn't come up with a

solution for my problem, because I had nowhere else to turn to (except

to spent a night or more in a Hotel) - but what to do if the missing bag does

not appear?!

She then telephoned for a locksmith - who could do his lock picking in about

two hours time.

"Why do we have to wait so long?" I asked

"All the locksmiths are out on duty!" was her answer.

There must have been an awful lot of luggage gone walkies on that day!!

Finally at 5pm that afternoon, I slumped through my front door.

I can only hope and pray that my roaming bit of luggage will find it's

way home - if not, I will be losing a load of precious goods plus souvenirs

from my home town.

Please bear with me, once I've recovered from my shocking homecoming

I will post a few pictures of my most delightful visit to South Africa.

Africa is calling

2007-10-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have searched the internet for an appropriate picture for my blog story,

and I was just about throwing in the towel, when I came across this blog
timpanogos.wordpress.com/2006/12/22/ and found this sad but

delightful picture of a small African boy standing amidst parched
fields - due to severe drought.

This cartoon won the 2006 Ranan Lurie Award for editorial cartooning,

an international competition supported by the United Nations Corres-

pondents Association.

The title of the cartoon is "African Tsunami"

If you should stumble across my blog, please don't be too angry

with me for "stealing" your picture, I simply couldn't resist using it

for my blog entry.

Nevertheless, thank you very much Ed Darrell!

As many bloggers know, I'm a born and bred South African, and for many

silver rainfalls, red clouds and many many moon, I've been married to a

man who's hometown is Switzerland.

I like to call him "The last of the Mohicans" There's plenty more

living here, but I find him the nicest of the whole bunch!

I have spent the early years of my married life here in Switzerland, went

back home, but have once again returned to my husband's birthplace.

Since the day we arrived in Switzerland I haven't paid a single

visit to sunny South Africa since the day we arrived here - 13 years ago.

Unfortunately, my Son refused to join us - as he said at the time, and I

quote,

"My roots are in South Africa"

Sadly I had no choice but to except his decision, so, with sadness in my

heart and eyes tear stained I waved him goodbye!

Although my days and years were filled with great joy because I

had my daughter (girl child) safely at my side, my heart was always

half filled - as any Mother will feel when one of her children are absent.

Whenever my Son comes to Switzerland for a visit, it is like spending "Christ-

mas in July!" We enjoy every minute to the full!

So, to cut a looong story short, when my Son 'phoned me about

8 months ago telling me he was getting married - I was "Over the moon"

with joy, and ever since that telephone call, our household has been

something similar to the goings on in a hornets nest.

Well, my bikini's been released from "Pandoras box", and is now

packed into my luggage (Snigger)

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go!

We have but a handful of days still to sleep, then I will be home again!

This coming week I still have a few loose ends to tie, so I doubt if I will

find time to blog at all.

Providing I find a quiet moment or two, I will take a look-see

what everyone's up to.

So for now I wish you all happy blogging !

Goodbye, So long and Cheerio ! !

Tweety's prayer

2007-10-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

At the best of times Tweety is a "goody two shoes", no wonder he goes

on poor ol' Sylvester's nerves (grin)

If you haven't been this good, don't worry too much, just

HAVE A GREAT WEEK-END ! !

Babies of the world

2007-10-22T06:12:00.001-07:00

Different people - different cutures!

In the Inuit, babies are unfamiliar to diapers, instead

their Mothers use Moss to keep them fresh and clean!

These twins from the Mongollai don't know the soft comfortable feel

of a diaper on their bottoms, instead, their Mom will use dried

cowdung, how exactly, is still unknown to me, perhaps she will

rub it on their bottoms ? ? ? In China, diapers are unheard of, instead the baby wears trousers with

a slit in the center. Wow what about the jolly mess afterwards?

In Afghanistan, the baby's eyebrows and eyelids are painted

with kajal, their little bodies are also covered from top to

toe in a white powder to protect them from sweat and rash.

This little button on the picture is looking forward to his

milky supper, but the people from Himba in Kaokveld

will first bathe their newborn in the stomach of a killed

bovine animal.

Don't you agree - this must be the best babysitter you've ever seen?

The picture shows the baby strapped to a Yak.

One can only hope that nothing will frighten the animal and

cause a sudden stampede! ! ! !

It's very interesting to read about the different cultures of

our world, afterwards we'll say "Wow, they must be crazy to do those things"

But let's face it, if we were forced to live in "a different world" we'd do exactly

the same - and think nothing of it, simply because we don't know any

other way, but un-

thinkable in our modern lives.

It ain't what it seems.

2007-10-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

What are these guys up to? Look again!

Knights in shining armour ?

2007-10-14T10:20:00.001-07:00

Before Winter arrives, we're still very lucky to enjoy some mellow days

and blue skies - so a stroll with the dog down to the Rhein was just the thing,

and it was quite a surprise to see this enormous castle on top of a ship on

the River Rhein.

I was expecting to see a few knights in shining armour, but no can do!

Instead I spotted a lonely horseback rider - but he looked more like a

Red Indian than a bloodlusty knight to me. (Click on the pic for a better

view)
To lift the mystery, the castle on the water served as a
museum of days gone by when men were rugged and rough and
damsels were always in distress !

I don't think much have changed.....!

The large building in the far background is a multinational
pharmaceutical company.

The picture shows the city's second oldest bridge but recently
replaced by a new structure.

Have a peep at this http://www.vlotburg.nl/de/

An awful lot of pumpkin!

2007-10-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

What on earth did this man in California, Half Moon Bay do to

harvest such a giant size pumpkin?

This beauty weighs 691 kg (1,524 pounds)

The Local paper says you could cook pumpkin soup that feeds at least

100 persons -- never mind the pumpkin soup, I'll be enjoying

pumpkins prepared with cinnamon and brown sugar, pumpkin pie, pump-

kin fritters and pumpkins every day ! !

I have turned "pumpkin orange" with envy !

Back in the land of the living.

2007-10-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

Is Murphey on the loose, or is it a nasty little Gremlin at work -
Wish I knew!
I've been absent for about 10 days now all because my computer
decided to play havoc - I'm beginning to think computers don't
like me very much.
For the last few weeks I've been up to my eyelids in travel pre-
parations, and then the computer decides to strike - heck, doesn't
this ever end?!
Having a computer is a whole new ballgame - but it can be a nasty bit
o' works.
When we found a spare moment to restore the computer (over the week-
end) I have noticed that I've lost an awful lot of downloaded pictures
as well as very interesting addresses. Ah well,, all down to the Gremlin!!

Nevertheless, I feel like the cat who stole the double cream - because

I'm ONLINE AGAIN!!!!!!

Kind thanks to Devlyn for lending me her kitty photo.

Week-end Do's and Don'ts !

2007-09-28T04:54:00.001-07:00

Wishing you all a safe and relaxing week-end, but please don't try

this in your garden. This here is easier and far safer !

look what's new!

2007-09-26T08:58:00.001-07:00

An Orchid discovered at the annamites mountain range in
Thua Thien Hue province. The world wildlife Fund has announced
the discovery of 11 new animal and plant species in a remote
area of central Vietnam.

White orchids are so beautiful, but can you imagine what a
black one looks like? We think we know it all, and that everything there is to know has already
been discovered, but these pictures just goes to show how wrong we are.

Who can tell just how many worldly secrets are lying safe and soundly
undiscovered from the prying and distroying eyes of mankind !

Just wondering....!

2007-09-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

During my last visit to Zürich, I spotted this, and couldn't resist
taking a snapshot of the ARAB BANK IN SWITZERLAND.
If I should suddenly disappear from the blogsphere, please don't be
surprised, because I don't know if I'm stepping on forbidden ground by
saying or asking - "Could it be that Osama Bin Laden has a savings
account here?"

Monday Morning giggle.

2007-09-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

A mother mouse and a baby mouse are walking along, when all of a sudden, a cat attacks them.
The mother mouse goes, "BARK!" and the cat runs away.
"See?" says the mother mouse to her baby. "Now do you see why it's important to learn a foreign language?"

Showered with beer!

2007-09-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

The picture above shows German football trainer
Ottmar Hitzfeld getting showered in beer, but I'm sure this happened
at the end of a successful football match.

At about 4pm this afternoon Mr.CC and I nipped into the super-

market - something I rarely do on a Saturday afternoon.

While we were waiting in the queue, I noticed the beer cans of

the customer standing in front of me, it was labeled IRISH STOUT.

For some unexplained reason I had the feeling that the guy was an

Englishman, because a Swiss citizen will seldom buy any other beer

than beer that is produced here in Switzerland.

He paid for his goods and moved a little away from me to pack his

purchases.

It was my turn to pay - and the next moment I felt an icy spray of

something very wet on my face, T shirt and the entire right side

of my body.

Not realizing that the AAAAH sound of utter disgust came directly

from my very own voice.

There is a saying here, thirst is worst than homesick, but this guy

must have had one helluva thirst because he decided to open a can

of thirst quencher, and heaven only knows what happened - it ended

up all over myself and the cashier.

After the first shock of the wet sticky and cold shower left me

I let him have it in the good English language.

I was pretty cheesed off about the smelly beer that clung to me as if I've

just arrived from a Happy Hour party, and the fact that I still had to

walk home covered in the colour of dark brown.

He apologized and offered to pay for my dry cleaning, but I refused his

kind offer and waved him away.

I really wonder if the dark brown stuff tastes like it smells, but

never mind.

What have I learnt today?

Don't go shopping on a Saturday, and don't ever stand too

close to a customer with a large thirst ! ! !

Look again

2007-09-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

This was sent to me by e-mail, and because it's so pretty I
would like to share it with you all.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK-END !!

Sandcastles by the Sea !

2007-09-15T06:49:00.001-07:00

Where are the days when we tagged along with
Mom and Dad for a day or perhaps a 3 week holiday down to the
beach ?
I clearly remember the excitement of getting into my swimming
costume and a pair of soft rubber sandals, and of course armed with a
colourful bucket and spade - all rough and ready to build the
largest sandcastle anyone has ever seen!
Oh gone are those carefree days of childhood bliss - collecting
pretty shells or running away as fast as you can because there's a
big wave coming at you.

But just take a look what is done on the beach today !
Can something like this be fun or sheer bliss?
I have seen pictures of people creating the most wonderful
ice sculptures.
Sheer bliss?
I will worry non-stop about my precious sculpture melting away.
Perhaps I'm a worry wart but if I could create sandcastles such as
these, I will worry myself silly about the tide coming in or that some-
one will overlook my work of art and come driving along at breakneck
speed in his beach buggy - and poof, it's all gone!!

But,

No matter what I think or do, just enjoy the pictures because
I do believe this is truly a wonderful work of art ! ! !

Do click on the pics for a much better view,

All Cried Out

2007-09-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

I took a fancy to this old dried out fountain when we paid a visit to
the Pumpkin paradise a few Sundays ago, somehow a dried out fountain
can tell a longer story than a splashing one.
This one stands in the rose garden of the Training college/Hotel
just across the street from where we live.
According to the Ivy growth here,this fountain must be standing on the
dry for a number of years.
Click on the pic for a better view, believe me, this is a sight for sore eyes
and a very delightful spot to relax for an hour or so.

WISHING YOU ALL A BLISSFUL WEEK-END ! ! !

Scrap yard Sunday.

2007-09-10T09:15:00.001-07:00

What in this world could be worse than going for a Sunday drive - and your
darling little vehicle decides to strike?!!!!
About 30km away from home our car decided to break down - Alternator
problems.
Just as we were driving up a steep hill on a sharp bend, she stopped smack
in the middle of the road.
Mr. CC jumped the battery, and "Bob's your uncle" we were mobile again,
but Bob didn't want to be our uncle, and we no sooner drove out of the little
village and into a rather dark forest when "Madam" decided to strike again.
Once again she received a good "jump" dosage and we were on the
road again! !
This little "Madam" just waited until we were in the middle of a traffic jam
when she decided "It's showtime again!" and striked like a donkey who
needed carrot encouragement.
I have lost count of how many times Mr. CC jumped the battery so we
could be out of the traffic and out of trouble.

To drive from one small town to another usually takes about 15mins.
but the whole palaver took us 2 solid hours of embarrasment
by stopping, pushing the car off the road and jumping the battery to enable
us to get a little forward and to stay out of everyone's way and to get
to the nearest town so we could find some sort of help.

I was totally amazed by the behaviour of our fellow humans.
Instead of offering assistance of any kind, we received a lot of
abusive words coming from passengers sitting safe and snuggly in their
cars.
I have never felt so embarrassed in all my life!
At one stage I was ready to sit in a nearby corn field and sob
my heart out!

After many frustrating hours we reached a larger town and Mr. CC parked
the car in the visitors parking bay, right in front of a large complex.
What a relieve to be safe and soundly out of everyone's hair!
After this major breakdown we sure earned ourselves the grand
title of MENACE ON THE ROAD!

We decide to take the train back home because "Madam was done for the day"

We asked a pedestrian to direct us to the train station, and because we
were sent into the wrong direction, we walked for miles !
Pedestrian N° 2 also sent us up the garden path.
Boots are made for walking and one hour later pedestrian N°3
directed us into the sunset - the train station! ! !

By the time we reached the station, Mother Nature was calling
loudly - I was desperately in need of a Restroom!
The train was on it's way so I made a bee line to the public toilet.
"Sweet Mother of Mercy, tell me this isn't happening! ! !"
The toilet door was locked ! ! !
I spotted a little Restaurant across the street and took off like a
Renegade in search of a bathroom.
The train's on it's way and I've got the Niagra Falls hot on my heels!
Close to tears I shared my dilema with the young waitress and "Please,
it's urgent, may I use your bathroom?"
Cool as a cucumber sandwich she said I can use the bathroom if I will
pay a fee - because I wasn't
a customer !
The shock of being refused entry into the place of relieve, and the
shock of having to cross her palm with silver stalled my urgent
call of nature, and I ran right out of the Restaurant, just in time to get onto
the train that will get me to my safe haven - home!

My horror story ended the moment I found a glorious loo on
many wheels! !

Here a picture of the little monster that turned our Sunday drive into
a nightmare!

Come in or stay out.

2007-09-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

When I walked home from town one day, this pretty door caught
my eye, and luckily I had the camera handy. I doubt if any unwanted guest could get through these fancy
burglar bars.

Finding burglar bars in Switzerland is a rare sight, so when I spotted

these, I thought it was worth the shot.

This is another decorative door, far prettier than the pic shows (click

on for a better view, perhaps it will help a little)

I have no idea how old this door could be, but it's definately a re-

stored oldtimer. In Switzerland even doors go for a facelift.

Yahoo! It's Pumpkin time again

2007-09-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again - pumpkin season!
So off we go to the Pumpkin Paradise to bring home a few of
life's goodness.
Strange as it may seem, but the Swiss folk don't show much
interest in the pumpkins in the supermarket - which is a rare sight
on the fruit and veggie shelves in the stores.
For some reason they believe it tastes better when bought at
the Pumpkin Paradise, and I've notice that the Swiss folk don't
know so rightly how to prepare the good pumpkin.
Pumpkin soup is a great favorite, but a cooked slice, not so much! The flower fields were a lot more popular than the pumpkins
today, I think it's great to be able to walk through here, select
the flowers of your choice, and cut as many as you like, then pay the
lady standing at the front entrance to the fields.

This was a very peaceful scenery of a couple of horse riders trotting
along the many many cherry trees.

Fuji was very keen to be free of her leash so she could run and

explore the area. We came across a field of pumpkins which didn't

look very exciting, 'cause the leaves looked all gooey and messy, but

what caught my eye was the colour of these pumpkins - could it be a

pumpkin of a different kind? They're all grey! !

Another favorite among the Swiss people are the decorative pump-

kins - perhaps this is what was growing here.

To my delight I discovered a baby pumpkin - still in diapers (nappies)

Snigger snigger! Poor thing's still got a long way to go (grow)

This is such a pretty place to visit, and if you have the time, you could

stop and collect a couple of wallnuts along the way.

This here is a picture of the city lying right behind us, and I couldn't re-

sist taking the pic - over the mountains in the far background, lies

Germany.

So, now I guess you all know what we'll be munching for the next couple

of weeks - PUMPKINS GALORE! ! !

A Midweek snigger

2007-08-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

This picture was sent to me per e-mail, and the heading said "If Paris
Hilton was a dog, this is what she's look like!"
I don't quite agree, because it's known that Paris is crazy about the colour
yellow, so, why is this doggy wearing pink shoes ? ! !

Home away from home

2007-08-26T08:30:00.001-07:00

In the KLOSTERBERG area, not far from where we live, a festival
was in full swing, so we took the dog and made our way out there
to see if we could see something unusual or exciting.
To my surprise I discovered many many stalls serving African food

as well as African souvenirs or nickynacks.
Here we came across an African musician playing the drums.

A few stalls further down the pathway we spotted an African
cooking up a storm, what looked like a BBQ, turned out something
quite different, perhaps you'll get the picture if you click on the
pic for a better view - here Mr. CC wanted to know "What's for
lunch!"

I love a good curry dish, and as the smell of curry filled my nostrils, I

had to kill my curiosity by charging over to this stall to find out what's

on sale. This guy (from Tangier)

sat almost motionless behind his dark sunglasses, and I never showed

the courage to enquire about his wares! !

Although I must admit I'm not a great fan of African curios, but

seeing this made me a wee little homesick.

More African souvenirs to buy, from shoes to furniture, but I

was more interested in taking a pic of the man in the center of the

photo standing close to the palm tree.

He was wearing a traditional Nigerian dress.

As the weather was good and the sun was shining brightly, it

was no surprise that the crowds were overpowering - everytime I

took a shot of this guy, someone walked in front of the camera or

he was simply wiped out of sight.

This was the only picture and stall that had nothing to do with Africa,

but the Indian lady was very friendly indeed when I stopped to look at

her pretty things, so I decided she's worth the photo - even though

she never got the chance to smile into the camera. (She's in the

center of the picture, dressed in the yellow Sari)

It just goes to show, one doesn't have to fly all the way to Africa

to see what's cooking, no way! Just come along to one of Switzerland's

sunday festivals!!

Extra Extra!

2007-08-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

Why do some people have more than others? I wouldn't
mind having her long tongue when it comes to licking out the
last little bitty honey from the glass jar! !

This is the only cat in the world with two tongues - he lives in
Dobson, NC.
Unfortunately I couldn't share the video, but everytime his two tongues
were visible, it reminded me of an angry snake, YIKES!

Why does he have 6 toes and we have only 5?
Can he run faster or stand guard for that much longer without
getting tired?
It gets even better, there is a young boy in India who has 6 fingers
on each hand and 6 toes on each foot - another video I could not
share with you all.

This kitty has an extra toe to clean in his spare time.
Will we ever understand the mysteries of this wonderful but
oh so weird world we live in - I guess not!

If you'd like to see a video about the people with ostrich feet who

live beyond the Southern valley of the Zambezi river in Zimbabwe

where buffalo roam under bleached skies and tsetse flies linger on

human flesh (sorry about that) then go here and have a look see.

www.metacafe.com/watch/539675/people_with_ostrich_feet/

Going Up ! Going Down !

2007-08-20T06:33:00.001-07:00

This thing called an elevator or a lift is part and parcel of our
daily lives, we press the button, the lift stops right in front of
our nose, and we step right inside without thinking anything of it.
It's as normal and easy as the escalator in every large shopping center,
instead of walking up the steps provided, we'd rather get onto the fast
moving steps that will get us to the top or the bottom in no time.

Up to this day I've known only one person who refused point blank to
set foot on the fast moving steps - my Mom!
For some unknown reason she's rather walk up or down 5000 steps than go
on the escalator.

But that's another story, I want to tell you how we all got stuck in the
elevator rather late - ish on Sunday evening.
The picture of the elevator above is not the one in our building, but
it is very similar - very small and narrow.
Moving large furniture in this little matchbox is quite a mission, in
fact it's more than that, you need a set of powerful muscles to carry
your furniture (or most of it) up the stairs, or down if you're
moving out, simply because you cannot fit anything larger than a
human being into it.

Instead of saying good-bye to our visitors at the front door, we
decide we'd all get into the elevator just to enjoy a final chit chat.

That's when it happened!!
The elevator was definately not overcrowded (only 4 persons, and dog)
As we descended, the car stopped in mid-air, so again we presses the button
which should take us to the ground floor.
But once again we experienced the same problem.
To cut a long story short, we spent about 15 minutes of sheer fright
and horror in a tiny elevator which didn't know how to get us to
the ground floor.
Our knight in shining armour came in the form of our neighbour.
He was desperately waiting to get into the lift himself, but noticed
4 shaken humans going up and going down with no end in sight.

Apparently, one of our visitors was standing a little too close to the edge of
the elevator and caused confusion to the electronical brain of the little metal
box !

I can't say being trapped in a tiny square box with very little fresh
air, nervous tention and almost "JAM IN THE LIFT" is a pleasant
experience.
After the nasty ordeal, I had problems walking back into freedom
with a pair of kneecaps which felt genuinely jam filled.
As I'm typing this story, I am laughing, but believe me, no-one was
laughing last night.
Perhaps I should stick to the staircase in future ! ! !

Fit for a Queen ?!

2007-08-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

I've found something else that tickles my fancy - It took 1,200 carpet-
weavers one and a half years to complete this beauty - weighing only
38 tons !
The wool comes from SIRDSCHAN in South Irak and New Zealand.
I wonder what this 5,625 squaremeter carpet is in aid of, and will
they ever use it for special occasions, and where will they store such an
enormous bit of wool in case of rain.
I suppose my curiosity will get me nowhere, but I bet anyone who dare
walk on that carpet with his shoes on, will be a thrown into the deepest
and darkest dungeons!!

This one's for you Hostagirl.

2007-08-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

On the 24th July Hostagirl http://seasonsadventures.blogspot.com/ showed
a picture of a (speared) Chinese dragon on her blog, and it reminded me of
something sililar just a few streets away from where we live.
When I saw this strange creature crawling up the wall, I didn't have my
camera handy (as usual) but when I saw Hostagirls dragon picture, I
had to go back to take the picture of this strange creature climbing
up the wall.
It's obvious, that someone who lives in that building had a fantasy of some
sort, but what he had in mind will remain a mystery!

Is this for real?

2007-08-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

I could not believe my eyes when I found this on the Internet!

What is it with some people that they can do something like this?

If there is anyone out there who can comment on this, I'm listening!!

What do you think, is this for real or is it a fake???

Water water everywhere!

2007-08-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

This has definately been one of those "more wet than warm"
Summers.
Last week it rained non-stop again causing chaos and
problems for many people of many cities here in Switzerland.
Rivers are full to capacity, the cellars (basements) are filled with
water and almost everything standing has been flooded away.
Firemen have worked overtime to pump out flooded cellars - to
say the least, the loss is immense!
This picture shows the rushing water under a bridge, not all that
very far from where we live.
Here,s another picture of our town, a little more rainfall and the water
will reach the bridge.

Here it doesn't look quite so bad, but the rushing water is a dirty brown,

and I wish I could show you all the fallen treetrunks and debris that is

floating along in the angry water - the whole lot is now heading toward

France and Germany.

This is a very pretty and picturesque little town called LAUFEN

but shopping here on foot will be impossible for a while.

I remember walking down this street some time ago, it was a very

pleasant Summer's day, merrily enjoying an ice-cream on the way!

This is another pretty town called OLTEN, but here the water has also

left it's mark.

After a wet and rather unfriendly Summer, I'm wondering what

kind of Winter awaits us.

Oooh Brother! !

Is the city to blame?

2007-08-07T02:03:00.000-07:00

The last time I was in Zürich I wanted to take a picture of this
funny headless statue, which is also a drinking fountain.
Girlchild took the pic on her mobile phone and sent it to me per
e-mail, but for some reason I could not post it on my blog (me bumbo)
Personally I find this a very cute statue -but where's his head?!
Could it be one of Snow white's dwarfs that left the forest behind and
then ended up losing his head in the big city?
We'll never know!
All the same, everytime I see this little guy, I imagine him with a head, and
holding a bowl of some sort, so everyone with a great big thirst can drink from it.

1st August Celebrations

2007-08-03T02:15:00.000-07:00

We spent the entire day in Zürich to join in the August 1 celebrations.
The weather was really kind to us all (after so many weeks of rainfall)
There were tourists all over the streets and everyone was enjoying
whatever this fabulous town had to offer, even the swans made
themselves comfortable along the jetty, enjoying
every bit of public attention. This terrace was packed to capacity - no room for a teensy mouse -
while people were enjoying eats and drinks they were entertained by
non-stop music.

The Zürich See was alive with activities and boats of all shapes and
sizes were out on the water, it was almost as busy as the trams and
cars on the busy streets.
Do click on this picture and you will see the snow on the mountains
far in the background.

This is the Fraumünster looking out over the Zürich See, what I liked
about this pic was the colour of the water, it wasn't only blue, it was
more of a turquoise colour.
What I like about this city that never sleeps is - never a dull moment!!

She's over 700 years old

2007-08-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

People in our town celebrate the Swiss National Day August 1st, along the
Rhine river.
The city starts it's festivities the day before with water sporting events,
food stands, games and activities.
Many stay until after sunset to ooh and aah at the always spectacular
fireworks show.
Here is only one picture of the beautiful fireworks display which lasts
over an hour.

The near disaster.

2007-07-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

On Monday morning girlchild usually gets the day off from work and then
she will hop on the train to visit me, but last Monday she had all
hands on deck, and a visit to me and our city was out of the question.
On such occasions we will have a telephone conversation which will last
between two to three hours which will make up for us not
spending quality time together
So, as we're nattering the hours away, we were constantly disturbed by the
noisy sounds of Fire engines, police cars and ambulances speeding by.
Believe me, there were moments when we had to stop chatting because
we couldn't hear what the other was saying.
Eventually I looked out the living room window to see what the
commotion was all about.
That's when I saw the black smoke.

Later that afternoon I heard on the news that a light aircraft went
into a three storey building, not very far from where we're living.
After the pilot flew off from the airport (not far from us) he ran into technical
problems and crashed down into this building, about 10minutes after takeoff.
He was killed instantly and his body was found at a nearby playground
where 19 children were playing only minutes ago.

It is still a puzzle to me, how something like this can happen.
When a plane crashes into a building, the number of dead and injured
people will be fairly large, but what happened here on Monday
morning must be an absolute miracle (with no-one killed but the pilot)
I am terribly sorry for the pilot who was on his way to the USA, but
tragically lost his life - not to mention his family who are grief
stricken and must feel absolutely soul destroyed.

It's a very frightening and distressing thought.

Here today but we could be gone tomorrow ! !

Please don't eat the Daisies!

2007-07-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

San Francisco - A foul smelling orchid that flourishes only in
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK and was first collected in 1923 is a
distinct species, scientists announced Monday after evaluating the
flower.
Botanist Alison Colwell said the species' minute, tennis-ball
yellow flowers weren't what first led her to it, but rather
the smell of sweaty feet that the Yosemite bog-orchid emits
to attract pollinators.

This takes me back to the very first Spring when I first came to
live in Switzerland.
We were driving along the countryside - enjoying whatever
beauty the first signs of Spring had to offer, when I spotted a
field covered in pretty white daisies.
We stopped the car and I practically disappeared in amongst
the lovely blooms.
Both Mr.CC and I picked arms full of the delightful flowers.
For more than a week every room in our Apartment was
screaming "Look, more daisies!"
Every second day the vases were filled with fresh water, and
the daisies loved it!
But with each passing day as the daisies looked happier and healthier,
I was going greener around the gills because the entire Apartment had
an ungodly smell about it - the air was filled with the smell of
sweaty feet!!!!!
We searched high and low to find the evil-doer, but to no avail, I
was convinced the more we searched, the more the smell increased!
Out of pure desperation to find and destroy the stinking culprit I
ransacked the washing basket, in search for a pair of socks with
a very bad attitude!!!
Well, the smell lingered and the torture continued until the pair of
us finally detected the daisies with BAD BODY ODOUR !!

The moral of the story: Beware of pretty faced daisies overstaying
their visit ! ! !

Only his Mother can.....

2007-07-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Is this a cat or is it an alien creature ?

It is also known as the ugliest cat in the world, but what in the

name of cat ballou has happened to this poor animal at birth??

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and have those

eyes staring back at you - YIKES!!!

As an animal lover, I really love all kinds of animals - no matter how ugly or

handicapped, but let's face reality here, this guy is beyond

ugly - he scares the living daylites outta me !

But somewhere in this crazy world, there is someone who didn't mind

his hairless little cat body, the devil shaped ears nor the

poison coming from his evil little eyes.

Only this cat's mother can love him but,

bless the sweet lady's heart for loving and keeping him!

'Aint this Sweet ?

2007-07-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

ERDOS, China - The world's tallest man married a woman two-thirds

and almost half his age on Thursday in a traditional Mongolian ceremony.

Bao Xishun, aged 56, a 2.36meter (7ft 9inch) herdsman from China's

vast Inner Mongolian region, was carried to his wedding on the back

of a mobile yurt pulled by camels at the Genghis Khan holiday resort on the

grasslands near Erdos city.

Hundreds of people, some traveling for hours turned up to see Bao wed

saleswoman Xia Shujuan, a mere 1.68 meters (5ft 6 inches) tall and

just 29 years old.

The young blushing bride says she's madly in love and

"You need to have feelings for someone to be in love, even if he is a big

shot, you can't love him without feelings!"

Aaah, now isn't that sweet.

What puzzles me is how on earth is she going to reach his level to

kiss him goodbye when he goes off to work in the morning!

I can only hope that someone somewhere in Mongolia was kind enough

to tinker a little ladder high enough for her to stand on when she kisses
her beloved giant good-bye.
Is this what they call "a match made in heaven?"
Don't matter at all - I think love is grand!!!

Pushing our Luck ?

2007-07-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

After many rainy weeks, we've experienced a scorching

hot day today - a far too sudden change in the weather which leaves one

feeling somewhat like a deflated balloon.

We decided to take a stroll along the Rhine river and perhaps we could

enjoy a little cool breeze while we're at it. No such luck !!!

Strangely enough we hardly saw a living soul sitting along the river's

edge, normally the river banks are jam packed with people trying to

catch a Summer tan.

I still can't believe how the entire area could be so deserted, even the

guy who sells ice-cream on the grassy path alongside the river was nowhere

to be seen.

Poor ol' Fuji was so busy drooling away, and I doubt very much if she

enjoyed the walk at all.

We headed in another direction and came across a park, the large trees looked

very tempting, so we walked in despite the warning signs NO DOGS ALLOWED!

It was indeed very cool and pleasant and I wasn't sorry that we behaved

as bold as brass and marched right in.

All along the way I had this niggling worry that at any moment we would

be stopped in our tracks by a local policeman who was going to issue us with

a juicy fine for bringing a canine into the park

Instead of a "copper", we spotted this giant of a man watching us from behind

the trees.

He didn't complain, and he didn't fine us for breaking the rules - in fact

I doubt if he minded at all.

It's that number again !

2007-07-13T05:43:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's Friday the 13th again.
I know some people will avoid it like the black plague, but
it's never been a problem for me to get through the doomed 13th.

My late Mom always looked forward to this number and day, which is
supposed to be so unlucky for some.
You could bet your bottom Dollar that on that particular day she'd
receive good news or even get money paid out to her - doesn't matter
what, if it was good, it went flying Mom's way.

Such a pity, I never inherited just a little of her luck, but what the heck,
as long as it stays and treats me the way it's done up to now - I won't
complain!!

I hope this Friday 13th has treated you ALL very well ! ! ! ! !

Hallo Again !

2007-07-12T10:14:00.001-07:00

My goodness, I've been off the blog and on the go like a jo-jo for the
last 17 days - just goes to show how time flies !

Once again a loved one has taken ill, and I can honostly say, I've
had just about enough of scary nights, hair raising moments and
hospital tales !

The picture above shows my girlchild lying in a hospital bed in the
Triemli hospital in Zürich, and that was the main reason for my absence
on the blog.

Oh Lordy!! I won't be a very popular person if she gets to see this, so
before I get myself into any more trouble, I won't go into detail as to why
she's lying spread out in a strange bed, in a white washed hospital room !

But, I will say this much - the girlchild that is so dear to my heart, is
once again up to her old tricks, and I'm happy to say that she's
fine and doing very well ! ! !

Got the Monday Blues?

2007-06-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Is this what you're Friday looked like ?

Please don't tell me this is how you started your Monday !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZxxYaKl_EU

Summer.......... where are you ? !

2007-06-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken in Fraubrunnen here in Switzerland, show-
ing a factory standing "knee deep" under water.
The sewage system couldn't handle any more water .

Not a very pleasing picture, but this is what the sky looked like

at quarter to eight this morning.

The outside world looked as black as the Ace of Spades.

It'll be an understatement to say that it's been raining cats and

dogs here since the last few days.

Even an umbrella cannot take the weight of the rain beating

down - so going to the local supermarket is a matter of

swimming your way through the large puddles of water.

A rain storm such as this always seem to hit our neighbours in

Germany extra hard - the German border is only a 20minute drive

away, but boy, when it rains in Germany, it rains!

Although we're neighbours , it always amazes me that we are

never hit that hard by the chaos the storm leaves behind, as they

are.

These people are trapped on the roads by uprooted trees and

floodwater - to say the least.

Here by us, the night is alive with the sound of fire engines chasing to

pump out the overflowing rainwater that has once again found it's way into

many cellars.

If this doesn't stop soon, we won't have a Summer to enjoy before the

Winter season makes himself comfortable again.

Aah well, I suppose this is just another Summer playing "Hard to get!"

Who wants to live forever ?

2007-06-18T10:59:00.001-07:00

The saying goes "An apple a day keeps the Doc away" but this guy is

in the firm believe that a daily glass of milk has done the trick to keep

him healthy and fit.

An 111year old Japanese just named the world's oldest man said he owed

his longevity to steering clear of alcohol.

"I don't drink alcohol - that is the biggest reason for my good health"

Timoji Tanabe told media he does not smoke and likes a glass of

milk every day (wonder if it's goat's mik!)

Asked how much longer he wanted to live, a former government worker

said simply "I don't want to die!"

I wonder how many people out there share the same wish as this

man, " TO LIVE FOREVER"

I don't want to live forever! It will be interesting to

be placed into a "frozen sleep" (as seen in the sci-fi movies) for

some odd 20 years.

Imagine waking up to the many changes after having napped for so long!

So before I get completely carried away, I'll stop right here ! !