Apocalyptic themes were popular, but the freaky symbolism fascinated me – and we think modern art can be weird.
Lace toilet paper holder – Lace is big in Bruges. 
A tiny robe hanging on a peg.Checking out the aftermath of the parade in Diekirch, I discovered an ice cream shop. So I stopped and had an ice cream creation. Took me a while to decide what I thought I wanted from the Luxembourgish menu with pictures. Then I ordered something, but they were thankfully out of the coconut ice cream – didn’t see that one coming. So I opted for chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate syrup & whipped cream. And creme de menthe. And 3 wafer thin candies – like peppermint patties but very thin – sticking out of the whipped cream. All in a sundae bowl that looked like a fancy martini glass – only five times bigger. It was really to die for. Really.
%5B2%5D.jpg "Diekirch parade")
%5B2%5D.jpg "Diekirch parade")
Having gone a few places for various amounts of time I have a short list of things to pack:
Sunglasses – because you will have to buy them if you really need them if you don’t bring them.
Sunscreen – no matter what the weather, a sunburn hurts and will ruin your trip.
Tylenol – or whatever you take for soreness, headache, toothache, cramps, etc.
Binoculars – I always forget these and am always sorry. Even a small cheap pair would do.
Very good walking shoes.
Comfy clothing – do not pack items that are fancy, that you’ve never worn or are not practical. If you think you’ll need something nice, bring a dress or slacks and nice top. The problem I always have with this is shoes – now I have to pack dress shoes – and in the end, don’t wear any of it. Think of items like coats and computers on the bus, plane and anywhere you will have to carry them around for any period of time. Lugging crap around sucks. I wish I would have brought stuff I wear at home all the time – the sleep shirt or jammy pants, the worn jeans, warm slippers and old sweatshirt.
Most times we try to travel light – meaning carry-on only so we never have to go to the baggage claim or lug crap around (see above). This means one each: walking shoes, jeans, pants (eg. dress or khakis), sweater or sweatshirt. Two short sleeve t-shirts. Three pair undies and socks. Medicine, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, contacts/glasses. Hotels and the like usually have soap, shampoo and lotion. Optional: long sleeve t-shirt, a couple coffee or tea bags, camera, small collapsible umbrella, pen or pencil .
Now – pack and then take out 1/2 the stuff you packed. Remember some of the clothes you are taking, you are wearing. Things that seem like a good idea sometimes aren’t. Ask yourself if you could do without it in a pinch.
Disclaimer: these tips may not be complete or fit your situation. They are not for specialty trips such as business, backpacking or long-term travel. Try to think about things that may wriggle open and spill on your clothes.
Have fun!
So the bus ride was timed for a leisurely coffee until the Tourist Office opened. They directed me to the post office practically across the street from where I had my coffee. In my defense, no big post office sign was visible. Postcard stamps to the US are .90 Euros (over a dollar each) Now to the market with my list! A clerk spoke enough English to answer my question: “Do you take American Express?” and weigh a few pieces of fruit. Into the basket went spaghetti & sauce, applesauce, yoghurt, lemon tea, orange juice, a few other things and of course, a baguette! Checking out, I whip out my ecologically correct bag just as she asks if I have one. Ah – hah! Aren’t I clever – less than a week and I’m almost in the groove. But wait! The market DOES NOT take American Express and I am shamed into spending all my Euros on only the fruit and baguette. Certain that I was a few Euros short, I am thankful the clerk took what I had. Hey – wait a minute! Wasn’t she the one that said they took American Express??
Of course, the bus that stops is not the right one, but I hop on then off at the next stop so I can hop on the correct bus. The driver & another driver buddy were making fun of me (I think).
Living and learning in Luxembourg.
This morning I wash some clothes and hang them around the radiators to dry (no dryer) then head into Vianden to get a few groceries. Vianden is 3 K from Bettel and takes 5 minutes on the bus, so I will be going there often. I spied a market there yesterday and want to stop and the butcher shop. Of course, the store is closed from 12-2 like all the businesses except for the restaurants. And of course I am there at 12:05 so I go to have lunch at the Pizzeria. The Hawaiian pizza sounds good since this is the kind Rob got earlier this week at lunchtime. And a coffee, of course (which comes with a little cookie wafer thing). For good measure, I order a dame blanche (hot fudge sundae). I haven’t had ice cream since we left “the states.”
Since I still have at least an hour before the market opens, I write out postcards and then get my wallet out for ….. omg! Where the hell is my wallet!! I had it to get on the bus with my bus pass showing through the handy clear pocket in the front. The waitress said they took American Express – the first thing I asked so as to make sure. Sooo…I look in my coat pockets, my bag, my seat – my coat pockets again, empty my bag, go to the door to look out to the street. It is gone and now I have to tell the waitress. The embarrassment! What do they do to people here who can’t pay their bill? How am I going to get back without a bus pass? It takes me an hour to: explain to the waitress, call Rob’s cell from the owner’s cell to get his Amex card # hoping I can pay with that – oops wrong code have to call back for the other code. In the meantime, Rob is calling me the same time I’m calling him. He is able to call the bus station and see if my wallet is on bus 570 – and it is!! I call my landlady here on the farm and she can come get me! Still no credit card resolution and they take my word that I will be back later to pay. Chantel (landlady) speaks fluently to them and I feel better even if they could be making fun of me and I wouldn’t know it.
Pointing out that I’m having a bad day so early in the trip, Chantel drops me off at the apartment and goes back to her son’s school where they are having a Halloween type costume/candy parade since it is the beginning of Carnival (Lent). Rob comes home with my wallet that they went to the bus station to get and a box of chocolates for Chantel. We now have no food for dinner and go out to a convenient store after going to pay at the resteraunt. We have a bit of food now – and beer. One beer down…
Through one of my blogging buddies blogs (see the mini pics on the left), I found a contest to win a new Blogger Template! I'm hoping to update my blog site to be a bit brighter and lighter and have some nice features. Wish me luck - it's a random drawing, so I'm crossing my fingers. Some of the templates I like are:
What do you think?
Today I picked up my bike from Marty's Bike Shop. Two unfortunate incidents occurred last year that put the bike out of commission: flattening of the tires and an attempt to steal it. When it was stolen, it was ridden down the block and then dumped in a neighbor's yard because the tires were flat. Now there is a new wheel and it's tuned up and ready to go.
With my Cateye bike computer, I can keep track of ... my bike riding (as soon as I learn how to use it!). I also found a great site for logging everything I do: figuring out mileage of my rides, looking at maps - it works for walks and hikes, too. MapMyRide will even find riders in your area! It's almost as fun as riding! So far, I've been taking easy rides. Slight hills are work for me right now. Trips down the street to the drugstore, etc. are now made on my bike. I will save drops of gas by the gallon!
If you are thinking about or just want to read about riding, my inspiration came from Zen Habits: Commuting by Bike. (one of my favorite blogs). Happy Trails!
I'm working on my thoughts about the 30 Essential Truths according to Dr. Gordon Livingston, author of Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart, posted recently on Alex Blackwell's great blog The Next 45 Years. Some of them hit very close to home. This post is about the Fourth Truth. From Alex's blog:
4. The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood traumas. For some, childhood was pleasant, almost idyllic. But for others, when there has been serious physical, sexual or emotional abuse it is important to recognize this and process this with a trained professional. No matter your past, change is the essence of life. In order to move forward in life we need to learn to live in the present.
This one hit closest to home for me. How long can a situation that existed 30 years ago haunt someone? Oh, about 30 years or so. A professional can guide the process of recognizing past traumas. To recognize is to identify the event(s). This is different than describing - most of us know what happened to us. In order to explain our past, we need to look at it through the eyes of an observer. Why? Because our vision is clouded by memories and stuck on rewind, playing the same tape over and over without alteration. There are many other facets and by looking at them, we start to break up our tape. Once the past is recognized, we are supposed to process it. (put it in the blender and hit whip)
Progress; passage: the process of time; events now in process. To gain an understanding or acceptance of; come to terms with: processed the traumatic event in therapy.
An example: Mom has schizoaffective and bipolar disorders. She has been hospitalized and medicated, received shock treatments and therapy, attempted suicide numerous times and spent days if not weeks in deep depression, locking herself in her room. We were kids. I was the oldest. Sometimes she was manic, staying up all night playing the piano or rearranging the furniture. On other manic occasions, she would go out drinking and playing cards (for money). I remember feeding her, calling an ambulance when (and only if) she was unconscious, having holiday meals in the psych ward, seeing her restrained with leather straps, trying to take care of the four of us kids when she couldn't and having babysitters, nannies and grandma come before I was old enough. I grew up picturing her funeral. Every day. For the next 30 years or so. My psychologist pointed out many things that never entered my mind such as mom being extremely manipulative. My dad would tell me that there was nothing I could do, releasing me from the burden of the responsibility I felt to make everything better. A self-help book said that people learn good coping skills (as well as poor) growing up in an unhealthy environment. When I began to hold on to ideas such as these, my mental recording that had been stuck on the previous description started to break up. Just when I noticed that I was feeling better....
After living on her own and being stabilized as much as possible, mom fell and eventually had to stay in a nursing home. When I go to see her, she is angry and says many of the things I heard as a child: you kids don't care about me; I don't want to live anymore; I'm in so much pain, etc. This took me back so fast, I physically felt the rush to the past. Only this time, I wasn't a child who didn't understand. Now I see much more and know that things will not change and that I should not feel guilty. What I know and what I feel are quite different. But this time, I know how to get help processing.
I ran across the 30 Essential Truths according to Dr. Gordon Livingston, author of Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart, on Alex Blackwell's great blog The Next 45 Years. Some of them hit very close to home. This post is about the Third Truth. From Alex's blog:
3. It is difficult to remove by logic an idea not placed there by logic in the first place. By nature, we are emotional creatures. Often we live and react based on feelings, not logic. Feelings are wonderful, but when we become tied to a particular thought or belief we tend to ignore the fact that change might be necessary. If a negative behavior is driven by an emotion, then we must find a way to still satisfy the emotional need while putting an end to the destructive behavior.
Have you ever had an idea, feeling, past hurt, resentment, envy or emotion that you just couldn't shake? Are you still mad about something? Is your reaction to an event or person different than the reaction of others? A very common example is former significant others. For example, because you hate/hated the fact that your ex did _________, you dislike anyone else who _________. Envy creates ideas that are not logical. My ex would not visit a BrandX gas station because I had had a boyfriend that owned a BrandX gas station. Now realize that we crossed the country a few times and he refused to stop and get gas there no matter what. That's an extreme example, but to test your logic, try it on someone else. Picture a friend having the same negative behavior that you experience based on your logic. Seems silly, doesn't it?
But how do we satisfy the emotional need that drives this thought or belief? First, identify the original event. What feeling or thought is tied to this event? What caused these ideas? Let's say the event was a perceived slight and the feelings are embarrassment and hurt. What emotional needs drive those feelings? A need for self-esteem, comfort and understanding. How can these needs be fulfilled in order to remove this idea? Identifying requirements that satisfy these needs varies from individual to individual, but an example will help:
Leave a comment on how you've overcome a negative thought or behavior! I would love to hear from you!
The Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library's Children's Department has been nominated for TWO Parents Picks awards: Best little kids Public Library and best big kids Public Library. Here's the info:
What does it all mean? Well, from May 19 - June 30, your business--along with all of the other ParentsConnect.com Parents' Picks Nominees--will be featured as our "top picks". All of our members will be encouraged to vote to determine who wins the official Parents Picks Awards! Visit ParentsConnect.com/ParentsPicks and select a city to see a list of the nominees.
Not only do we have a great library, but our online resources are great too. Visit the SMFPL website and check out the Children's Department! Go to ParentsConnect.com and vote - I did and so far the results show SMPFL in the lead!!
