So my not so favorite day is upon us. Living on a compound you have to bend some of your rules to be able to live peacefully with your neighbours...here it is about being part of a community of compound dwellers. So I buckled and have joined in with the 'completely against my better judgment' giving of disgusting amounts of candy to children! This is the first Halloween Marion and Davina are apart of...and to tell you the truth it is also my first.

Our compound invite expat children from all over who do not have a place to trick-or-treat. So we are expecting a couple hundred children tonight. The madness starts with a parade showing off the kidlings costumes. Then the candy rush begins as the sun sets.

I do admit it is a great excuse to make the girls a cute costume...can't wait to show you tomorrow.



P.S The girls are almost fully recovered or else they are both very good actresses masking their sickness to be 'well enough' to go out tonight!

Welcome to Monday. I have had a weekend of sickness. The girls both got very sick and I am slightly under the weather. I am still spending my day and night hours nursing them to health. Roger (my right hand nurse) is away this week, life might get a bit crazy around here. So please excuse me if I am a tab absent this week.

The treat for this weekend is a mile-high chocolate cake. Next week Roger is off on some big engineering adventure...he is so excited to go that I am feeling a bit jealous. I thought I would build up some allurement and sweet memories of home.

You know the way to a mans heart is through his stomach!

Yesterday I got a creative wave after seen a cute girls dress...and if you know me well enough you know of my weakness for children's clothing. After looking closely at the dress in the magazine I attempted to sew one! It turned out cute but the sewing could use some T.L.C (Martha Stewart would have nightmares if she saw me sew. But in the end I think the girls look tantalizingly sweet even if all the seems do not line up.

Before we left for our trip to France, Marion completed reading 100 books! These were no itty-bitty books but real stories with real words. She worked very hard at filling up her list before our trip...because we promised a special surprise awaited her in France. Roger and I have been wanting to get her a camera so she can capture her travels the way she sees them. Roger's dear Mother picked a tiny little camera up for us at cheapo Walmart...Marion was thrilled and has put that camera to very good use.

Here are just a few of Marion's pictures of France.

This weekend Roger spent an afternoon watching his girls play at the park, as they were occupied with play, he read his latest book…Travel Amsterdam. Promptly upon his return home he came in through the kitchen door a look of revelation had captured the features of his face. Excitedly and boldly his first words to me were “you are so Dutch!” Interesting greeting to say the least…the guy has been romantically involved with me for ten years and only now my genetics are registering. His hurried explanation must have been motivated by the “are you dumb” look that had now captured the features of my face. Roger read this following section to me from his travel book.

"Despite all the cosmopolitanism, Amsterdammers retain a sentimental affection for those features of the city that are truly Dutch; The jaunty sounds of barrel organs, the peeling carillons that play hymns or snatches from Beethoven to mark the passing of the hours, the comforting taste and vanilla scent of pancakes or waffles, or the cheerful sight of a well arranged bunch of flowers. This sentimentality goes by the name of ‘gezelligheid’ pronounced ‘cazelik-hide’, which is almost impossible to translate in any meaningful way. Ask the Dutch to explain it and they are more likely to give you examples of gazelligheid, rather then a direct translation, because the English word cosiness sounds far to corny.

For a resident, gezelligheid might be singing songs around a piano to a university lecture, by contrast, it could be listening to the music of Sweelinck on a 17th-century organ. To others it is simply letting their hair down with friends, losing track of time in reminiscence, or gossiping over coffee.
Wander the canal circle at night, staring into the brightly lit, book lined interiors of the houses, and you may conclude-correctly- that the Dutch are avid readers. The fact that you can glimpse such intimate detail at all is another endearing feature of this country. The habit of leaving the curtains and blinds open at night, to reveal chic spotlit interiors, striking works of art, and carefully chosen pieces of furniture.

Some say that this habit of showcasing one’s interior derives from a moralistic desire to prove that you are a clean-living-citizen in effect saying, “Look through my window: I have nothing to hide.” In reality, it is more a case of people advertising to friends and passers-by what good taste they have. Walking through this city is almost like strolling through the pages of an interior magazine.'"

Roger’s words were “you finally make sense to me”!

For that I am glad…

And now if you want to experience ‘looking through the window of a Dutch home’ please look at my two favourite blogs from Holland, they are very ‘gezelligheid’!

www.white-living.blogspot.com
and
www.be-house.blogspot.com

I can not take any credit for these sweet delights...Miss.Martha Stewart is fully responsible. The abundance of requests for this recipe has motivated me to post it here for any who want to gain a few pounds or if you have discipline, then enjoy a tasty treat.

Cream-Filled Chocolate Cookies

Mix:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
1 tsp. baking soda.
1/4 tsp. baking powder.
1/4 tsp. salt.

In a mixing bowl beat until fluffy:
1 1/2 cup sugar.
2/3 cup butter.
1 large egg.

Slowly add the flour mix, mix well.

Preheat oven to 3750
Place small ball on parchment paper (try to make every ball even) wet the bottom of glass cup so that sugar will stick to the glass. Squish the cookie dough down with the sugared glass. Cook until firm. Let cool completely. Spread with filling.

Cream Filling:
1 cup butter.
3 1/2 cup icing sugar.
1 TBSP. vanilla.

Eat and enjoy!

Today my still sick daughter had a minor melt down because I did not pack oreo cookies in our yearly shipment. I have not one single memory of ever buying oreo cookies in Marion's life time! After she recovered from the devastation of no oreo's. She went back to resting on the sofa, reading my cooking magazines. She got a brief burst of energy jumping and shouting joys, she had found a recipe for 'oreo cookies'! She then told me that this was exactly what I needed to make for my weekend treat! Well she convinced me...even if she can not have any until she is perfectly well...o.k young lady!

Fall the loveliest season of them all! At least to me. So I guess this week is my 'fall week in Africa'. Every other Wednesday is my crazy day...play group...and girl scouts. So no post yesterday. And today you all get to see the craft we made at playgroup. And now I must go because I have one girly who is sick and the other is howling madness over some frustration! I love being a Mom...I love being a Mom...I love being a Mom!

We had a wonderful meal last night. Though absent of our extended family. I was unable to find turkey but did find a whole chicken. I made Lorie's(my sister's lovely mother in-law) lip-smacking apple turnovers, which was fallowed by Roger giving me some lip-smacking thanks, for not having to miss another holiday meal!

Today is Thanksgiving day for us Canadians.

North Americans are so blessed. We set a whole day aside just to reflect upon our blessings. That in it’s self is an example of the things we should be grateful for.

Here are the top blessings of my life

1: A sizzling hot husband who daily makes an effort to love and cherish me.
2: A five-year old daughter who is sweet and caring and brings such joy to my life.
3: A two-year old daughter who brings laughter and excitement to my everyday.
4: The gift of being able to spend my hours raising my girls.
5: The gift of seeing the world.
6: All the people God has given my to call family and friends.
7: Allowing me to be Canadian.
8: And the million other wonderful things that make my life so darn amazing!

Paris. City of lights. I have heard magic is made under the twinkle ambience of this romantic city. And indeed it is true. Every corner, every monument, every building or art gallery entrances you in its beauty and magic. I can now say I have been up the Eiffel Tower, seen the arch-de-triomphe, walked through Versaille, Mona Lisa’s eyes have studied me, I have eaten the best croissant of my life...I have been to Paris! And the richer I am for it. Once again Roger found an enchanting little hotel, our room had views of the Eiffel tower!

The city was a lot more expensive then I had thought and I nearly fell off my chair a few times...but when in France...Roger still took me out on a date (retirement was put back a few years) I just kept thinking 'I am on date with my husband in PARIS' pinch me now please! It was so romantic...until we walked onto our street and could hear Davina’s cries all the way down the street! Her poor grandparents and their nerves! Note to self; don’t leave Davina! It was a spectacular city and a visit that will be a highlight of my life.

Monet has had a long-standing place of delight in my life. Since I have been young, his paintings have inspired and delighted me. As long as I can remember his work has been in my room then homes. Over the years more and more of his work has found places in my life...bringing windows of beauty to the blank walls of my home. What a thrill it was to visit his home, gardens and studio. I got to see many places his art was inspired by. Just having the opportunity to glimpse into this master’s life will always thrill me. His gardens, vast, and eclectic were charming and seemed to be taken from a long ago world left only to our imaginations. After my walks through Monet’s garden I carry a much stronger desire to have my own country home with gardens of fragrant beauty. And I concluded that if God were to have given me a special gift I would have wanted it to be the gift of being and artist.