h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi little tulip,

Thought I'd smoke a cig just outside your wonderful care centre.
Sky is looking good tonight for a across the .

Anyway, congratulations : one whole year. Your amount of posts is impressive, despite that erratic counter
Hope you'll stay with us for a long, long time...

Have a great evening and take care



XXX Bc

PS - The 'Zwarte pieten' scared the hell out of me as a kid

Hello

Yes, I used to be petrified of Zwarte Piet. The nuns made us assemble in the large hall where Sinterklaas handed out prizes for good behaviour. (I had one one year) and then Piet would chase us girls all around the hall. We knew that if he caught you he was going to put you in his sack and take you back to Spain.
I don't suppose they're allowed to have zwarte Piet nowadays.

You reminded me of the steamboat. As you know, Eindhoven isn't by the sea, but a fortnight before Sinterklaas he would arrive from Spain on a staeamboat on our local canal. It was very exciting and we never questined the fact that the canal didn't go to Spain.

One year we had to write an essay about it all and I won first prize, although was told afterwards that all the nuns had had a good laugh, because I'd written that after the Sint got off the boat he CRAWLED onto his horse!
Well, he didn't JUMP, ha ha. But apparently it didn't sound very dignified.

I think I'm staying in to-night CB as it's going to be so windy, it's going to knock me off my broomstick. Watch out for Halloween, though, I'll be around.

Bye for now. Take care.

Fly, I'd give a million to believe in Sinterklaas again!
The of it all!
I have never forgiven my parents for telling me!

Marzipan and mandarines and toys and

Ah childhood...

Sweet Fly, Bc in melancholy state

Not to worry, it'll all blow over soon



Bc XXX

CB

I'll join you in your melancholy state.
It must be the time of year, I suppose. I think I was more disillusioned when I realised that at Easter it wasn't the bells coming back from Rome that delivered all the eggs on Easter morning, but, looking out of the window to see if I could spy any, I saw my father going around hiding them.

Those hard sugary eggs and beestjes, weren't they awful, really?
But the marzipan!!! I still love it!!
The last year my brother was alive he sent me a parcel with all Sinterklaas goodies, but they didn't taste like I had imagined them.
I have to make my own banketletter as they don't know it here! Gorgeous!!
My Dutch friends and I get together on the 5th Dec and we all have to make a poem!!!And the presents go into a big sack and one of them plays Sinterklaas! Will we ever grow up?

Be happyCB

Oh Fly - easter, another great childhood trauma

I miss the wondering -yet believing- about how those clocks could 'spawn' eggs.

Now I am Sint for my parents - meaning I come home with a trolley full of sweet 'delicatessen'.

I know it's overcommercialised (?), but I X-mas.
but of course the most important thing: having a good gourmet with the people you love.

Have you made plans yet,Catharina?

Take care (stay virus-free )
and see you



Bc XXX

s, I meant

CB

Do you give presents at Sinterklaas or Christmas?
Things are changing so quickly nowadays and I haven't been to Holland for a few years. Christmas, last time I was there, was a very spiritual thing, very quiet, loads of candles, one or two nice meals, but no rowdy parties etc. What is it like now?
I hope you will enjoy your time in Limburg. My sister-in-law lives in Roermond, I haven't been to her new flat yet, maybe next spring.

I like Christmas too, I'm not too keen on mince pies, Christmas pudding or Christmas cake, but I go along with the customs. When in Rome (or England) etc. I even make my own mincemeat and pudding, although I don't think the mincemeat is as nice as what you buy, so I may not bother this year. I used to make a lot of marzipan figures and fruits too as my husband loved all the preparations for Christmas. I used to steep glace cherries in rum for two months, then fish them out and coat them with chocolate!..

My friend John, who lives in Cornwall will be coming to stay with me for a few weeks. I've already ordered the champagne! We have a quiet time, but very nice.

Good evening Fly,

Sinterklaas is not really about presents - well, yes when I was a kid - but now it's a plate of chocolate in all shapes and sizes and marzipan. I know there's a lot of people who don't like marzipan, but I think they should give the person who invented it a statue

Very much looking forward to X-mas in Holland. Many fond memories of last year, and now I am free. Last year I was still stuck at that bloody firm! Been so blind!
This year Erica (that's stepmom Bc), wanted to cook a meal, but we all went nonono we want gourmet - don't know whatit's called in English - you know the thing with the little pans and tiny sausages
I like it because for an evening I have the illusion I can actually cook.

Hope you have fun with your friend. Like I said it's the company, the food is a plus!

Seeya (no doubt) later and keep on posting and soon you'll reach the 3000-club! Did you see that post from sour Rosie?: 'I don't understand why people are so 'obsessed' with the amount of posts.' God, it's just a bit of fun, 'innit'?

Please keep ing, people love it!

Well, I do anyway!

C'ya


Bc XXX

Hi CB

I wondered what you meant by "gourmet" and now I realise I had that in Holland. People here, in England, translate "gourmet" as very good, refined food. As in 5 star restaurants. Do they call it skillets in England? I don't know.
But it sounds lovely, as all those kind of things are, when you're all eating together. It doesn't really matter what it is, does it?

When I get together with the Dutch girls, we sing all the old songs, I always start the one : "Sinterklaasje kom maar binnen met je knecht". Strange, isn't it, if we were in Holland none of us would be doing that.
Last time we all got together, a few weeks ago, one of them had that day come back from Holland and brought all sorts of Dutch things to eat.
We had great fun and one of them said to her: "Would you like to live there again?" She said: "No", and they asked all around the table and none of us wanted to go back to live there, we all prefer to be in England. Odd, isn't it? One of them went back, was there for 10 years and then came back to England again. She lived in my village and was my best friend and died of melanoma a few years ago, I miss her so much and she kept me speaking Dutch, which was a good thing.

Spak to you again soon.

Sorry to hear about your friend, Fly

It's none of my business I know, but from what I have been reading, I think I may conclude life hasn't always been kind to you

I can help you to keep Dutch alive

Have a de-lovely weekend, Fly, and keep well!



Bc XXX

Hi BC

I don't know anybody whose life is happy all the time, do you?
We just carry on regardless, don't we and try to make the best of it.

Strangely enough, I always thought that I was very, very lucky and that everything always fell into my lap until one of my friends said: "I don't know anybody as unlucky as you". It amazed me, I had never felt unlucky and I still don't. We have to make our own luck to a certain extent, don't we?

So, CB let's laugh and be merry.

Yes, you can keep Dutch alive for me, though I don't need it very often. My friends laugh at me, as I'm the only one who comes from the South of Holland and we use words they've never heard before. One of them speaks so "posh" that I can hardly understand her, those awful "g"'s, you know.

Hope you have a lovely week-end CB

Lots of

Yes, let's keep our 'g's soft and sweet ey



Luckily someone reminded me about the hour switch!

But I can bet I somehow will manage to forget that too before tonight

Take care and catch you later, Fly



Bc

Hiya CB

I couldn't remember if I'd answered you or not, but it seems I hadn't, so here I am!!

I get so mixed up qith CB BC MB etc. do you?

It's been brilliant weather here for 2 days, went to a lovely old village called Steyning yesterday and people were sitting otside the cafe's drinking tea in the sun. There was a big party planned for Halloween and there were about 30 witches around!
Had a lovely time.

To-day I've been out selling poppies for Remembrance Day and then I've had to clear the sitting-room for the workmen tomorrow. I'm exhausted now. Having a large glass of Cab.Sauv. so I expect I'll be even more sleepy after that.

Have a good week, CB

I know what you mean - mixing people up all the time!

there was a hunnybunny earlier at the Cb and I kept thinking it was Hunny B!

And esp. if you're posting on r2fm, the Cb and h2g2 at the same time

Big plans for inside of Fly Mansion?

My stepmother - who is a lady with very bizarre tastes sometimes- redecorated our toilet in a sort of Mondriaan-pattern and silver!. You must know that before it was all classic white. The first time I went, well, I couldn't..
So strange.

One gets used to it in the end ey

Have a jolly good evening and we don't have to take our clothes off, to have a good time nono, we could dance and party all night, and drink some cherry wine all night aha nanananana
Stripping in this weather? Nonono, let's keep our pj's on

Take care, you




Bc

Hi CB

I like the sound of your stepmother. Anyone a bit different to the norm! I'm always attracted to people like that, I bet she's never boring!

Well, CB. I can't dance around in my jimjams, as I never wear any. Can't bear to have all that around me in bed.
I can never understand why people take their clothes off to go to bed and then put another lot on again.
But maybe's it's me!

At the moment I couldn't dance, even when full of Merlot!
Had to get up early as the painter was here at 8'30. Dawn was just breaking! And him all cheerful and full of jokes.
Aarrrgghhhh.
He'll be back again tomorrow as he said he had to move an old lady from her upstairs to downstairs.
I had visions of him, hands under her armpits, dragging her down the stairs. I'm sure he couldn't carry anyone, as he's only little. Or did he mean her furniture?

All my curtains are down so I have to be careful when the lights are on.
What fun!!!

You O.K? Back home again? What happened to 3 weeks in Oostende?

See you soon, CB

What if the old lady says nonono this won't do move me/the furniture back upstairs

Meanwhile Fly will be searching for hidden nooks and corners as a hiding place from the workmen

I know how you feel about the HELLO STREET!- thing. We have that at the back of our house - no curtains - and many people stopping by and just staring. I try not to let it bother me but I will tell you stepmom likes to water the plants in a t-shirt. And I mean just the T-shirt.
Bc must be conservative but then I go please!!!! Now she uses towels
However, all in all, I like the woman a lot

Can't see your house from here, but don't worry, I know it must be a lot of hassle and nuisance (I thought so when our house had a makeover), but it's usually worth it in the end! Hang on!

Only went to Ostend for a midweek, Bc likes cocoon best

Take care,
Good luck with the decorators!
Hope it's not Debbie Travis!

Enjoy your Wednesday evening and see you later, Fly



Bc X

Hi BC

In Holland they often don't have curtains because they like people to admire their rooms as they walk by. Mind you, most of them are very tastefully decorated, I must say.

Maybe the tee shirt is JUST long enough. Isn't she great.

I'm like you, BC, LOVE to be in my own home. I'm not at all keen on holidays, I always get homesick. What a sad woman.
Some of my friends travel all over the world and go on one cruise after another. I would like to see it all, it's the travelling I don't like.
Even if I go on holiday, say for a fortnight, I have to make the hotel bedroom into a little "home".

The workmen have finished for now, coming back on the 23rd to tear the kitchen apart. Why do I do it? Mad!

See you soon.

Good evening Fly,

First of all, no the T-shirt was short short short. Luckily I have bad eyesight!
No, our opinions can differ. But that's so great about her! She'll always try to see your point of view too. And, I am sorry to say, she has done more for me than my mother has ever done.
I know I love her (my real mother), deep down in my heart, but contact hasn't always been great, you know.

Ah, name one family where everything goes right ey!

And Fly, about that kitchen, hang on in there baby ,if it's done professionally, it WILL be worth it in the end! Don't despair!

I have yet to look for Simpelveld on the map, but it'll be fun! Away, away for X-mas! Looking forward to it!

Take care, my little tulip and be there in 2019 (or be square!)



Bc X

Hi CB

Hey! Pity about your eyesight!!

You have been very lucky to have a lovely stepmum. My father had a stepmother and she was so horrible to him. She had 3 children of her own who get spoilt, but my poor dad!! Even when he was married and used to visit with his family (I had 3 brothers), we were never allowed in the house. My mum used to take a loaf and butter and jam and we had to eat out in the garden while all the children of the real sons were allowed indoors.

We went every Sunday afternoon, at least we all set off every Sunday, but my mum and dad would argue and halfway we usually turned round and went home again. The joys of childhood!!!!

As you say, every family has its problems. Some hide them better than others.

Can't believe your mother doesn't miss you, you are such a loveable fellow. Perhaps she just isn't good at communicating,

Can you tell I've rather had more than one glass of Cab.Sauv.

But, I'm celebrating. Tomorrow I'm going to lie in my lovely, soft, warm bed until I WANT to get up. No workmen.Lovely...........

See you CB

Catherina,

It's me.. You must trust me please !!!

I will send you PM on Nick's site.

Do NOT reply to BC or JD !!

Jen