ABC Wednesday, that's My World, S for Saint Nicholas

 
 
 

St. Nicholas is a typically Dutch and Belgium feast and celebrated on the fifth of December. St Nicholas is a bishop accompanied by his assistent Black Peter.
Saint Nicholas (Greek: Άγιος Νικόλαος , Agios Nikolaos, "victory of the people") (270 - 6 December 346) is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (Demre, in Lycia, part of modern-day Turkey). Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose English name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as is common for early Christian saints. In 1087, his relics were furtively translated to Bari, in southern Italy; for this reason, he is also known as Nicholas of Bari.


In Belgium and the Netherlands, children are told that Zwarte Piet leaves gifts in the children’s shoes. Presents are said to be distributed by Saint Nicholas'help Zwarte Piet; who enters the house through the chimney, which also explains his black face and hands.
Here you see how our local shoeshop owner has already decorated his shop with a couple of symbols dealing with our holy man. Black Peter is a real tumbler. The big golden bishop's staff and the mitre are worn by St. Nicholas. The big carrot is a treat for his horse.
BTW St. Nicholas is not celebrated in stead of Christmas: we also celebrate Christmas on 25th and 26th of December. December is a very busy month for us, ending in New Year's Eve with a lot of fireworks.

That's my World is hosted by Klaus,Sandy,Ivar,Wren,Fishing Guy & Louise - a Team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for this wonderful meme. You can see more of the world of other bloggers by clicking on the logo in the side bar or on that's My World


ABC is created by Mrs. Nesbitt. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with S.

Weekend Reflections, Camera Critters,

 
 

Click to enlarge to see more details!

These cows are a common sight in our polders, where grass grows in abundance. The fields are separated from each other by ditches filled with water. We always hope that these ditches will freeze over in winter, so that skaters can enjoy themself to their heart''s content!


This is a new meme which gives us the opportunity to show our best photos of reflections. It is a meme that is started by James. You can join this meme at some time during the weekend. Just post your photo and go to James to tell him that you are on.

Camera Critters is hosted by Misty Dawn. Thank you so much Misty Dawn.We all enjoy seeing and talking about animals. All creatures great and small give us much pleasure.If you want to see more Camera Critters click on the logo in the side bar, or on Misty Dawn.

that's My World, ABC Wednesday, R of Reading.

 

 

 

 

Click to enlarge.

As long as I remember I had books, with the exception of the time when I was in a concentration camp in Indonesia,which was a Dutch colony at that time. We lost everything including our beautiful books. But as soon as we came home in the Netherlands I got again a lot of books. Both my parents bought books for us at any occasion, on a birthday, at St Nicolas' Eve, for Christmas, for anyhing... you name it. And lateron when I married, my husband did the same. My children and theirs are also readers. So I was always happy when I got a book for a present. Here you see some of the bookcases I have in my house.

Reading Monk in the convent garden of the Domchurch in Utrecht.


That's my World is hosted by Klaus,Sandy,Ivar,Wren,Fishing Guy & Louise - a Team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for this wonderful meme. You can see more of the world of other bloggers by clicking on the logo in the side bar or on that's My World



ABC is created by Denise Nesbitt and a team of experienced bloggers. Thank you all.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with R.

Weekend Reflections Cairns, Australia

 

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This photo was taken in a holiday park in Cairns Australia!

This is a new meme which gives us the opportunity to show our best photos of reflections. It is a meme that is started by James. You can join this meme at some time during the weekend. Just post your photo and go to James to tell him that you are on.

Bench of the Week On an Australian Bench

 

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We were for a visit in Queensland, Australia in 2000. This is my Dutch grandson, who was eight-years old at the time. This photo is taken by
my Dutch daughter.

Two years before, my, then pregnant, Australian daughter and I sat on that same bench, while my husband took the photo, not knowing that a year later he would pass away.


 

RuneE of Visual Norway
began this informal meme on "Bench of the Week". Please visit his site for other participants. PERBS has a whole site dedicated to benches called "For the Love of Benches", which is going on for two years and every day she posts a new bench.

that's My World, ABC Wednesday, Q for Quartet

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To enlarge click on photos.

QUARTET
This is the German and Dutch equivalent of Happy Families, Go Fish or Authors. Many different designs of cards were made for this game in the late nineteenth and throughout the twentieth century, with various educational or other themes.

1.Quartet is played by three or more players.

2.The cards are shuffled and divided among the players.

3.Examine your cards; if you hold a complete set of four cards, lay these on the table.

4.The player on the right of the dealer asks any player if he holds a card needed to complete a set of four or a quartet.

5.If the player asked holds the card, he must surrender it, if not he becomes the one who asks for cards he needs to collect sets of four cards or quartets.

6. The winner is the player with the most quartets.

We often played Quartet with the children, with whom we used a far simpler set of cards when they were too young to read. My grand children in Australia liked the game as well.


That's my World is hosted by Klaus,Sandy,Ivar,Wren,Fishing Guy & Louise - a Team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for this wonderful meme. You can see more of the world of other bloggers by clicking on the logo in the side bar or on that's My World



ABC is created by Mrs. Nesbitt. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with Q.

Weekend Reflections Lavoir

 
 
 

Again the lavoir or washing place in Bracieux( see previous post). This was the water in which the laundry was done.It was apparently very clean. Here you can see how the women washed the laundry

This is a new meme which gives us the opportunity to show our best photos of reflections. It is a meme that is started by James. You can join this meme at some time during the weekend. Just post your photo and go to James to tell him that you are on.

Bench of the Week Lavoir, Washing place In France

 
 
 

This bench of the week is in Bracieux, France. It's very old. It's part of the "lavoir"or public washing place of the town of Bracieux.It has an interesting history and it's therefore so important to preserve this place.
On 28 May 1861 the town council took into consideration to build public washing places for the sake of hygienics and health of the mothers and women professionally involved in doing the laundry .On 12 November1861 the mayor proposed to have a shelter built for the women, who were until then exposed to cold and bad weather.
The washing place was used until 1950 by only two women. The washing women were replaced by washingmachines and laundries.
here you can see how the women washed the laundry

RuneE of Visual Norway
began this informal meme on "Bench of the Week". Please visit his site for other participants. PERBS has a whole site dedicated to benches called "For the Love of Benches", which is going on for two years and every day she posts a new bench.

ABC Wednesday P for Paua In New Zealand

Shells found in and around New Zealand.

Click to enlarge!

When I was in New Zealand on a holiday with my daughter and her children, I fell in love with paua, and so I bought some souvenirs. I gave some of them away, but I kept this lovely set of salad servers.

It is only found in the sea around New Zealand. This marine mollusk eats seaweed and lives clinging to rocks at depths of 1-10 meters, normally along the shoreline. Paua Shell is the most colorful of all the abalone shells. Most other abalone are pale in comparison.

ABC is created by Denise Nesbitt and a team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for their work.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with P.

Today's Flowers, The four seasons,

 
 
 
 

Autumn colours in France!

........by R.L. Stevenson
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!




TODAY'S FLOWERS was created
by LUIZ SANTILLI JR
Now it's managed by SANTILLI and DENISE BC Thank you, Luiz and Denise!To see more flowers click on the logo in the side bar.