All I need to do when I want to write a Fave Five post, is to look at the pictures I took the previous week. They’re my silent witnesses of yet another fabulous week. There were so many beautiful things this past week I don’t know where to start!
1. Friday evening I was making dessert for our Mother’s day dinner when I noticed I was out of gelatin. I phoned my husband asking him to get me some at the local supermarket when he drove home from work.
It came attached to a beautiful flower arrangement.
His mother’s day surprise for me. Cute eh?
2. My parents were staying here for the weekend, and I so enjoyed giving them my best. We had a little Mother’s day dinner on Saturday afternoon on the patio in the sun. And then later in the afternoon we showed them Antwerp harbor, we had a lovely photo walk and got a gorgeous sunset thrown in as a bonus! The next day I made brunch and we sat outside and just enjoyed each other’s company. The weekend was over much too soon.
3. Monday was intense. A new angel has gone to heaven, she was a friend of ours for many years. We paid our last respects at her funeral and then took the rest of the day off together. We went for lunch (which was delicious, and we even got offered a free coffee after the meal) and went looking for photo opportunities. The rest of the afternoon was not very inspiring, photo wise, so we decided to have a drink and then go home. When we headed to the car, we saw two 4x4 vehicles arrive on the field across the parking lot. It turned out they were going to launch two hot air balloons!! WOOT!! Photo opportunities galore, and I was the girl with the camera operating from the first row!!
4. The rest of the week was bright sunny .. blue skies … ALL WEEK!!! I almost forgot I live in Belgium. Breakfast outside, lunch under the parasol, ... doors and windows open wide from early in the morning till late at night. Watering plants, working on my lace, to be OUTSIDE … All DAY!!!! I even got treated to a free concert. I think they were rehearsing, but they were GOOD! ( There is another concert going on as I’m writing this – Thursday evening) If I had not known any better I would have sworn Mark Knopfler was in town! ROFL!! Summer at it’s best!
5. Yesterday was another perfect day! The hottest day of the year, but you won’t hear me complain! I had a pedicure appointment at 4PM and I decided to walk. A nice walk along the canal. I took my camera. Of course.
Some really great summery shots, the boats, the wild flowers, ducks, people laying in the sun, people swimming in the canal, again … Summer at it’s best! When I walked back afterwards there were signs of a thunderstorm approaching. But even the thunderstorm was beautiful.
This is what I wrote listening to it fading away…
Don't you love the sounds after a thunderstorm?
Distant rumble, silencing.
The last drops falling down with that little tick ... tick ... tick.
The gentle trickling sound inside the rain pipes.
Dripping, trickling.
The little breeze. The fresh air.
The calm ...
The silence of nature holding her breath.
Children's voices, laughter...
And then … the sparrows
are back,
fighting over their food again.
Find more Friday’s Fave Five posts at Susanne’s Living to tell the Story .
UPDATE: !! I was made Post of The Day by David McMahon with this post! WOOT!
Now this is really the cherry on the pie ...
THANK YOU David!!! You made my day!
27 comments:
BRILLIANT .... as always.
Thats a great slice of life in words and pictures.
Whata wonderful FFF. You always do such a great job my Belgian Bombshell. And a Mother's Day meal in August...excellent. I love the photos as usual. Very very very well done. Have a great Friday :) Aloha
Great stuff, the poem! The sparrows bit is so good! We have so many here and they sure do a nice dance and fight ( a little!) after the thunderstorm.
I always love your posts. You can pack so much in such a little space. Your food photos make me wonder why you don't have a food blog, and your photgraphs make me wonder why you aren't hiring that camera out. You are just amazing.
Looks like a good week in Belgium. Lovely photos and uplifting commentary. Congrats on "post of the day". Yours is often my "post of the day".
Beautiful. Your posts always make me realise the beauty that lies around us.
I can't say it better than the people who commented before me, they hit all the right notes. The more I see of Belgium, the more sure I am that the stork dropped me in the wrong country!!!
Have a great weekend.
A beautiful country, a charming husband, loving parents, and so many delightful sights and sounds...equal great photos "your silent witnesses" for us to view! Love that!
This post DESERVED to be POTD! This is a fabulous post! It has a bit of everything - including poetry. But ohhhhhh I can't WAIT to see those hot air balloons! Your are a temptress throwing THAT in there with no photo!
This was one of the loveliest posts I have ever seen - the photos, the poetry, the sentiment. Just lovely.
I was just over at David's and I saw you were post of the day and RAN over here to say "YAY!!! and Congratulations for some well-deserved recognition!
Your poetry absolutely captured the FEELING rain brings. Really lovely, Jientje. I felt like I just walked through a rainstorm and it's dry as a bone in central California. Ah, to hear and SMELL the rain right now......
Please accept my condolences on the loss of your dear friend.
Hoi Sis!
Congratulations from me too!! You really deserve this title!
Mum and Dad enjoyed their stay too, so they told!
Enjoy the weekend!
I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend.
Jientje the photo's are so beautiful...and your description. honestly I can close my eyes and smell the rain.
You are a treasure!
PS - It is soooooooooo flipp'n hot here. Miserable, steamy, no wind a blow'n, blazing HOT.
Can we trade for a few days?
Glad you had such a great time and your husband is just so lovely :D!
That sunset is simply gorgeous!
David is correct...wonderful post, wonderful photos. I love visiting your blog everyday.
Oh my friend, You are so kind with your remarks, but it is YOU that has the ability to leave me breathless and spellbound with your poetry and your pictures are truly inspiring and poetry to me. I am so TOTALLY in the wrong line of work. I an stuck in an office 8 hours a day. Although I cannot complain about my work, I am such a free spirit and feel stifled, I need to FLY! I look forward to your journey to the states this fall! Have you ever been?
Congrats on POTD! Well deserved. What a great week you've had.
Wonderful post, Jientje! I loved your poem.
I thought it was so sweet of your hubby to send your gelatine along with a floral arrangement. How many hubbies would think of that? You are blessed.
Isn't your hubby a thoughtfully creative guy!
Beautiful sunset you captured. I'm glad you are getting some non-rain days. I can hardly wait for the hot air balloon pics.
There is so much presious gold in your new header - you are safe in case of inflation :) I really love the colors! And the faves - of course!
Your Belgium is beautiful. I remember when I was a child in Ireland back in the sixties the King & Queen of Belgium made a state visit and we watched it on TV.....
And you POTD was very well deserved, this is a lovely post and the photographs are stunning.
Thanks for sharing,
CJ xx
what a beautiful post! I bet you are so much fun to travel around with :)
I absolutely adore thunderstorms. I am happy that you had a lovely time with your parents. mmm that berry dessert lokks very nice is it a meringue? I like the new header photo as well xox kim
i lovw your words at the end...enjoy the flowers. congrats on the POTD at the end of last week.
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