Walking and relaxing !!!

Yes I was walking in the wood,
its always so relaxing for me.
But the weather was grey ~ foggy ~ misty :(
The forest is close to my neighborhood.
I am there in 15 minutes.
On this cold and freezing day, I was looking for GREEN.
It was only in my imagination
but in real all is dry and withered !!
Spring where are you ....

I want to introduce you to a few friends :-)

These are "flip", "flop", and "flap"
my horse friends of the forest.

They belong to a riding school here in the neighborhood.

My best friend is the brown/white colored horse,
I call him "Flop". He stands in the middle.

I can touch him and he likes it very much.

Those other two are a little shy.

I always feed them apples.

If they see me ..

I think..
they will maybe think..

Yippieee.... there is the apple girl :-)

There was also a "Spy" in the wood !!

It makes me always afraid :(

Who would that be ??

Guess ....

Carnival in The Netherlands :-)

Seven weeks before Easter,
this year February 14th
a large part of The Netherlands goes mad.
"Carnival" has come again.




Canival or in Dutch we say Carnaval
but I call it "Vasteloavend"
because I live in the province Limburg
and we have our local dialect !!!

I live in the most southern province of The Netherlands,

Limburg,

where many Dutch go to celebrate it.

During Carnival, every town is one big party.

Dance to special Carnival music, join a Carnival parade

or watch one go by and let your hair down.

This is what Carnival is all about.

Originally, Carnival was a Catholic festival

and it is the perfect opportunity

to go a bit crazy for a few days....

Yeaahhhhh........

Many Dutch towns hold parades

consisting of papier-mache figures

on floats and people dressed up in outrageous outfits.

Music bands plays music as the normally staid citizens

suddenly dance together through the streets ....

Overall there are three different types

of Carnival celebrated in The Netherlands.

The most well-known variant is

known as the Rijnlandsche Carnival

and it shares many folklore traditions

with its German and Belgium counterparts.

Maastricht is famous for its Carnival

which mimics Italian, mostly Venician,

traditions, culture and costumes !!

When my father was younger

he also made BIG papier-mache figures,

for the great carnivals parades.

He is always so creative,

I think I have all my creative power
inherited from my father :-)

Happy Carnival to all our Dutch Germans & Belgium friends :-)

Happy weekend for all our friends :-)

Kareltje =^.^=

Anya :)

We need SUN !!!

Depression, depression.

Gets to us all,

we don't know why ?

But it's always there ....

We "NEED" sun !!!

I don’t know what it is in the sun,

but it really boost up my energy and mood :-)

It makes me happy.

I just can’t live without the sun.

Sometimes I think,

I want to emigrate to a hot country .... LOL

I want to go outside,

and be happy,

spending time in nature can improve my mood

and make me feel more purposeful ....
I love it to work and to relax in my big garden.

I love it to walk in the woods

and love it to look at the waves of the sea :-)

I wish that my legs could touch the sea

and maybe i could jump in it :-)

I can only dream about it ....

But its not possible !!

It is winter,

and here is many snow and its very COLD :(

Spring where are you I need you ....

Kareltje needs also the sun :-)

Cats like to feel warm and secure

before they fall to sleep.

They also use the sunlight for a warming up !!

A heater in the house is not the same :(

Yesterday I made these shots.

Its my view at the back of my house.

Every week I bring carrots.

I like it to feed the animals in the winter :-)

The wild horses needed also a
sunbeam ...

Daily care :-)

~ How to do an head massage !!



~ Clean your ears soft safe and easy !!

~ Here is an easy way to keep your teeth clean !!

~ Use a face-wash everyday !!

~ How to treat ingrown nose hairs !!

Cleaning of body is important

from two viewpoints :

~ looking beautiful

~ and feeling good about you ;-)

Happy Birthday Kareltje =^.^=

♪ ♫ ♩ ♬ Happy Birthday to you ♪ ♫ ♩ ♬
♪ ♫ ♩ ♬ Happy Birthday to you ♪ ♫ ♩ ♬
♬ ♪ ♫ Happy Birthday Dear Kareltje ♬ ♪ ♫
♩ ♬ ♪ ♫ Happy Birthday to you ... ♩ ♬ ♪♬
Yeahhhhh.......

My little boy is today 12 years :-)
Congratulations or in Dutch Gefeliciteerd !!!






For my meow..meow..friends & woof..woof..friends
yummie.... snacks :-)




I scream
You scream
we all screen for
"ICE CREAM"
Yeahhhh ....
For all my blog readers a colorful ice cream :-)




Let's all sing a song
loud and clear :

Kareltje has birthday and all the cats came
To eat cat snacks and play a cat game
To open cat presents and when they were through
They said "Happy Birthday" the way cats do

And they said, "Meow, meow, meow"
Everybody do it now, "Meow, meow, meow"
Really nothing to it, "Meow, meow, meow"
Well image that, you've just said "Happy Birthday" in cat
That's what you did!

You were really great, I'm proud of ya, "Happy Birthday"!





THANK YOU Bruce
for giving me this very special award
on my birthday :-)

The rules are to pass the love on to 5 other blogs,
But I will passing my love to
~~ All my (GIRL) friends in blogosphere ~~
Meow.. meow..


Warning
Use soft noise ;)




Hope you all have a happy week
with lots of treats and toys and cuddles :-)

The beauty of a horse ;-)

Beauty is in the "EYE" of the beholder ....

~

A Dog looks up to a man,

A cat looks down on a man,

But a patient horse looks a man

in the eye and sees him as an equal ....

~

~

Meow.. meow.. My horse "look ~ a ~ like" yeahhhh....

~

~

Have all a HAPPY weekend

~

(((hugs))))

~

Kareltje =^.^=

Anya :)

~

Eleven years ago ...

I wish you could look in a mirror.
See how truly beautiful you are,
your orange ~ white fur
and your golden yellow eyes like stars...



When we adopt you 11 years ago :

You was only one year old,
I saw no love in eyes.
You were very sad
and your fur was very dirty.

You was found on the street.
You was dumped for a holiday :(
Its a sad story
but its the truth.

When I looked to you,

I thought he is mine.

I took you right away ...

You where sitting in a paperbox.

In the car you would creep out.

So afraid that you were.

~

And now you're so sweet and sometimes (naughty)
I give you lots of love

and I received so many love from you.

Next week you have birthday my sweetheart :-)

~

Yeahhhhhhhh........

and Mommy will cuddle and kiss you the whole day !!

Brush ..brush .. brush .. :-)

Brush Your Teeth Please !!

How often do you brush your teeth ??

Brushing our teeth
is an everyday activity for all of us .....

Help all the animals brush their teeth
while you learn the proper way to brush your own.
A great aid in the development of dental hygiene :-)

Fun .. fun .. fun ..

We are ....

dreamers :-)

~

Dreams are necessary to life ...

~

Nothing happens unless first a dream ...

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart ...

Who looks outside " dreams "

Who looks inside " awakens "

I think we dream

so we don't have to be apart so long ...

If we're in each others dreams,

we can be together all the time ...

We wish you all a sweet weekend

with many dreams ...

Kareltje =^.^= & Anya

Our differences ...

Meow..
Today a few differences
between Me and my mommy meow..meow..
Fun ..fun..



Meow.. I walk always on my toes
and my Mommy on her feet.
I have beautiful soft toes
and my Mommy has weird toes
look so colorful and funny ..




Meow.. Look to my nice ear
it is so cute and I can hear all noises ..
My mommy has also ears
but they are always hidden under her hair ..




Meow.. Yippieee ........ I have a TAIL :-)
My tail is very important,
with my tail I can communicate and show my emotions.
My mommy has no tail at least I've never seen one !!!!




Meow.. I have two layers of fur.
On top is the hair that is responsible
for the color and pattern.
The bottom layer is responsible for the insulation ..
My color is orange white and its VERY soft :-)
My Mommy has dark blond colored hair
and its thin but also soft (nothing special ;) ..




Meow.. Our legs .. are very different look for yourself.
But I think that mine are softer
but her legs are much longer :-)

=^.^=

Meow.. By looking into my eyes you can see my mood.

If i'm frightened or excited,

then my pupil will be large and round.

If i'm angry, then is my pupil narrow.

Everyone says I have beautiful eyes :-)

Around my eyes, I have beautiful soft fur,

and my mommy laugh lines ...

(No oopss ... I see the wrinkles are real)

But mommy your blue eyes tell it all,

your eyes, sparkle with pride ..

~

Meow.. meow.. Kareltje =^.^=

It is very cold here :(

Look into our garden
Where all was green
Covered by the snowflakes
Not a blade is seen

Now the bare black bushes
All look soft and white
Every twig is laden
What a pretty sight :-)

Because we have been used to milder winters,

for many this snow is a surprise !!!

Many roads are snow-covered and very slippery :(

Snow forecast of up to 4 inches is expected at the weekend.

Temperatures will fall to a low

of between -10 and -15 degrees.

Send us warmth ...

We need it !!

=^.^=

Enjoy your weekend

I think I walk only with the shovel pushing snow ..... !!

The Lucky Chinese Tag :-)

Amity our new friend from the Philippines
had tagged us :

The Lucky Chinese Tag: Eminent Eights :-)
Here are our answers ...


8 TV shows we like to watch:

Kareltje :
1. Tennis (Yeahh.. meow..meow..my favorite =^.^=
2. Animalplanet
3. Sesamstraat
4. Garfield movie

Anya :
5.RLT4 News (Dutch news!!)
6.Romantic Movie
7.Dr. Gregory House (USA)
8.Horror movie




8 Favoriete Places to Eat & drink:

Kareltje:
1. With my Mommy
2. at home with the whole family
3. in Cat Hotel
4. when granddaddy comes he had always a catsnack for me

Anya:
5. at home
6. Greek cuisine
7. by my parents
8. french cuisine

8 Things I Look Forward To:

Kareltje:
1. meet my blog girlfriends :-)
2. meet all my blog friends
3. on vacation to my favorite cat hotel
4. cuddle with my Mommy

Anya:
5. My Birthday :(
6. meeting blog friends in real person
7. Summer
8. Vacation to a hot country (sea sun ..)

8 Things that Happened Yesterday:

Kareltje:
1. eat
2. sleep
3. eat
4. sleep

Anya:
5. I had driven too fast by car
6. I have been to the hairdresser
7. sitting to long behind my laptop ;)
8. many snow moved with the showel




8 Things I Love About Winter:

Kareltje:
1. by day sleeping on my Mommy's waterbed on a towel
2. looking to the snowflakes
3. resting for the central heating
4. on my Mommy's belly

Anya:
5. my waterbed (always warm !!)
6. cuddling
7. can have loads of soups, hot choco and coffee
8. made a snowman :-)

8 Things I Am Passionate About:

Kareltje:
1. food
2. catsnack
3. waffle
4. ham/cheese

Anya:
5. coffee / chocolate
6. sweets and fruits
7. relaxing by the sea
8. walking in the wood




8 Words/Phrases I Often Use:

Kareltje:
1. meow
2. meow
3. meoww
4. meowww

Anya:
5. yeahh
6. oepss
7. hihi
8. yippieee

8 Things I Learnt from the Past:

Kareltje:
1. because I'm not brushing my teeth, I lost three teeth.
2. once a year I go to the Vet
3. I let my nails cut
4. My Mommy is all for me

Anya:
5. Live out of your imagination, not your history
6. Art is a sense of magic
7. Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies.
8. It is not length of life, but depth of life ...




8 Blog friends we want to tag....

1.Alessandra "The Cats Will Know" France
2.Anu "Sincerely yours..." India
3.Cecilia "Potpourri in NC" USA

4.Diana "Jurnalul unei pisici indepentende" Romania
5.Duni "Lovely purses" Germany
6.Hazel "Delineating Des" Bangkok
7.Lèia " We love Luna" Luxembourg
8.Vicki "Lucy's Cat Lounge" USA




Yesterday we received a Xmas present
from our best blogfriends from Malaysia :-)
Soooooooo far away ....
The postman had a surprise for Kareltje.
He received a new collar with his name on it,
and for me a new little bag for my make up stuf.
As you can see on the photo it is all handcraft
its BEAUTIFUL artwork,
(click on the photo for a better view)
my little make-up bag is look-a-like Kareltje
I love it.
Thanks Mommy & daughter from Malaysia :-)
You are very creative and its AMAZING art work !!
THANKS :-)

Yippieeee ........ water FUN :-)

Taking a shower
can be lots of fun
when taking a shower
With someone ... :-)



Anyone that owns a cat knows
that most of them HATE the water...
Well apparently
there are some exceptions to the rule !!



Kareltje follows me everywhere.
Even at my bathroom.
If I take a bath he is watching me.

He is a spy ..... ;)

And when i take a shower he is waiting until I'm ready.
When I step out the shower he walks in it,
he loves it to walk through a little water ....



If I close the door
he is very hard meow..meow.. behind the door!!
He is a little silly CAT but we all know that ....

In Dutch we say " Gelukkig Nieuwjaar "

The Dutch have their own way of celebrating New Year.

They stay at home and celebrate quietly with the family until midnight.

It is the evening of the great, Dutch doughnut
( oliebol ).

These are deep-fried balls of dough in various flavours,

covered with icing sugar.

They are only eaten during the New year period.

The doughnuts are washed down with coffee ...... LOL

( I buy donuts at the bakery. )

Also one of my favorites is Dutch "waffles"

I bake themselves and also for my parents,

I make a total of 160 waffles.

They are yummieeeeeeeeee.........

Our family recipe

2 pounds all-purpose flour

1 pound soft white sugar

2 sticks butter

6 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 teaspoons baking powder or baking soda

6 eggs

In Dutch

1 kilo tarwe bloem

1 pond witte basterd suiker

1 pond boter

4 zakjes vanille suiker

2 zakjes backin

6 eieren

And Shortly after midnight "FIREWORKS"

It sounds like a major war has broken out

but luckily there are also many sky rockets

and decorative fireworks .....

(Its not my favorite, I look always behind the windows :(

Kareltje is very afraid of fireworks.

He runs totally stressed throught the house.

I always have the doors ( INSIDE the house )

open so he can run where he wants ......

Animals have very sensitive hearing !!!

Loud bangs and whistles can cause

pain in their ears.

By following simple guidelines

your pet need not suffer.

Keep dogs and cats inside when fireworks

are being let off !!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

to all our friends ...

Hopefully is " 2010 "

one year with much

~ Love

~ Peace

~ Good Health

Thanks all for your friendship :-)

We are back next year !!!

Meow.. meow..

Bye bye ...

Kareltje =^.^=

Anya :-)

Fun .... only for you :-)

Their suits are black and their vests are white ..........



Penguins shuffle shuffle to the
Left left left
Penguins shuffle shuffle shuffle to the
Right right right
Give a little wiggle
Give a little hop
Waddle round the iceberg
Never want to stop ............ :-)

SNOWMAN fun !!
Yeahhhhhh .......

Did you know a snowman can dance and feel alive ....
Yes I believe it .......... :-)

Special for all our friends ...

(Look ...... My Mommy and Suzanne had made
a snowman today,
she is always playing like a little girl .... ;)
Meow.. meow.. =^.^=




Christmas is one of the most stressful events
of the year.
Special for all Mothers (like me ... LOL)
Take Care of Yourself !!
You know the rules for taking care of yourself.
Get enough sleep, eat right and drink water.
The busier you are,
the more important it is that you take care of yourself.
You won’t be any good to anyone if you get sick ...





I hope all is well with "Jerry the mouse "
This photo is from yesterday,
we have many snow in Dutch ...
I hope he had also a wonderful Xmas
(for new friends Jerry the mouse
lives here with his whole family ... ;)



We have received many postcards, ecards & Emails
Thanks all :-)

We're wishing you a Christmas

Full of laughter, love and light,

With delicious holiday foods

To excite your appetite.

We're hoping you receive

Delightful gifts to make you smile,

With family and friends

To love you all the while.

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

May your Christmas dreams come true,

And when Christmas is over,

Happy New Year, too!

Have all a wonderful time !!!

Thanks for your friendship :-)

We love you all ....

Kareltje =^.^=

Anya :-)

Our Xmas tree :-)

Meow..meow... I see a new tree in our garden !!



Oops .... Now he stands in the living room ...
sniff.. snif.. he smells so good ... yummie :-)





Look this is our tree
with origami balls and stars :-)

CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR A BETTER VIEW !!




My Mommy make yesterday these stars
special for me
she sad always I'm her "star" forever ...
She is soooooooo SWEET for me "meowwww"



At the top of my tree is a star
A star that looks down on me
A star that I makes my wishes shine
A star that brightens my path
A star that enlightens my world
A star that makes me feel loved
A star that makes me dreams come true
A star that makes me smile
A star that protects me from my enemies
A star that brings my bliss and hope
A star that sticks to its promises
A star that supports me take me as I am
A star that never fades away
A star that will live with me forever and ever :-)

(@^.^@)

My folded paper Christmas decoration ..

In Japanese,
the word "ori" means to fold and the word "gami" means paper.
So, origami means "to fold paper".
Origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding.
But there’s more to origami than its name.

(CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR A BETTER VIEW !!)




Paper folding is a wonderful hobby,
and a wonderful group activity...
and for kids it has so many benefits socially
and for the developing mind.
You can relieve stress and recapture
some of that bliss with a few quick folds of paper.




It's incredible to watch an ordinary piece of paper
transforming into a three dimensional form,
and the more complex the design,
the more incredible this process becomes...




My balls are very difficult for beginners.
A ball consists of 64 elements
(64 leaves from 1 x 1 inch ).
First fold and then stick together.
The cube model consists of 4 leaves
and thats easy to make for beginners :-)




It was not easy to make good shots
because its all from glossy paper!!

Next time you can see
the Dutch Christmas tree :-)

I'm a GREEN lover ....

One of my hobbies is
taking care of plants and breeding of new plants.
I'm now working with orchids :-)
I attend them with all my love
and always get them back in the bloom.
I have many colors and they are beauty's in my livingroom.
:-)

Be careful with our trees :

(I'm a nature lover..)

There is nothing more Christmassy than a Real Christmas tree.

So how about having the same one year after year?

Well, now you can get trees that you don't have to throw away

but can be replanted and kept until next year...

In Dutch can you rent a tree ...

The green company will bring a tree to your house.

Then they will come and pick it up after Christmas !!

By renting a tree you are taking a positive step towards

helping the environment and protecting the habitat :-)

A real Christmas tree

is a wonderful holiday decoration for humans,

but its texture and odors make it an inviting chew toy for pets.

Plus, the decorations on it are also very attractive to dogs and cats.

Kareltje jumps sometimes in the tree and play with the balls

(I have many Christmas balls of paper "origami" hand made.

Japanese paper folding art is a hobby of mine.

In one of my next posts I show my origami paper balls,

I have no photo at the moment ;)

The reason why we all LOVE a real TREE:

~ They are alive and breathing in our home.

~ A Christmas tree is the coolest seasonal houseplant of all time.

~ They are the most naturally shaped trees.

~ It smells YUMMIE...

~ Living trees don't dry out like cut trees.

Our Christmas tree will be delivered this week

Yeahhhhh.....

I now I'm always late ;)

And then I go decorate it with Kareltje ;)

Friends forever :-)

Kareltje rubs my leg

and starts to purr,

with a soft little rumble

a soft little whirr.

As if he had motors

inside of him ...

I say, "Kareltje my sweetheart"

and stroke his fur,

and thought he can't talk

and I can't purr.

He understands me

and I do him ....

Do not forget to laugh ...

Always remember to be happy because you never know
who's falling in love with your smile ...




Everyone smiles in the same language ...




If you don't have a smile,
I'll give you one of mine ...




Every day you spend without a smile, is a lost day ...




A smile is something you can't give away,
it always comes back to you ...




Enjoy all the Christmas spirit
but do not forget to laugh ...
Perhaps the best decoration is being wreathed in smiles :-)

Meow meow ... I'm so happy

I have received SO many gifts from St. Nicolaus.
It was a lovely day, everyone was at home
eating and drinking the whole day.
Many cat-snacks for me yummiee...
My Mommy was always busy, busy, busy,
she gives everyone something to eat
to drink and Of course many sweets....

St. Nicolaus was great Meow..Meow..
I have received a BIG white mouse
and a very funny and little silly
christmas mouse that can move ... !!
I love both mice,
I'm so happy just like a little kitty :-)






My Mommy had also received many girls-stuff
not interesting for me,
but on present was very funny,
it was a BIG plush Hello Kitty.
Kitty is a cheerful warm-hearted little girl.
(Just like my Mommy .. Meow .. meow :-)




(We have a few days not visit our friends "sorry"
my Mommy was always busy with all presents and making funny poems.
We will visit you all as soon as possible !!)

Love you all ...

Kareltje =^.^=

He is coming ...

Who comes ??
St.Nicholas (Sinterklaas) en black Piet (Zwarte piet)
Zwarte Piet is a companion of Saint Nicholas.
Yeahhhhhhhh.....

We in Dutch celebrate Sinterklaas on December 5th,
St. Nicholas Eve, with festive family parties
when gifts and surprises are exchanged.
In the Netherlands, unlike other places,
adults as well as children join in the fun.
As the Dutch like an element of surprise,
a small gift may be wrapped in a huge box,
or it may be hidden and require following clues
to discover where it is..


Gifts are prettily wrapped in special Sinterklaas paper
or they may be hidden, for example,
in a potato or an old sock.
Each gift, anonymously signed "from Sinterklaas",
comes with a clever rhyme that may point out a person's
shortcomings in a humorous way.


Children sing traditional Sinterklaas songs
while waiting for the saint to appear.
A knock comes on the door and a black gloved hand
appears to toss candies and pepernoten inside.
Children scramble to gather up the treats.
A large burlap bag, "de zak van Sinterklaas,"
also appears filled with gifts.
At the table,
decorated with speculaas and other sweets,
guests may find their
initial in a chocolate letter at their places.



I have always worked with children
with learning disabilities and disabled children
I was often self Zwarte Piet (Black Piet)
it was so funny to do that :-)



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 :-)

Anya (@^.^@)

My feeling today =^.^=

Love is more than a feeling ....

=^.^=

I love you all :-)

Our family trip ....part 2

A few pictures from our family trip to Barcelona.
Yeahhhh.......

We found peace there and beautiful nature.
And many amazing buildings !!
But we had to get used to the busy.. busy.. city life,
self we live in a village.
We have walked many miles pfffffff......
But we have enjoyed and laughed a lot.

Below you see my youngest daughter Suzanne,
she is posing for a funny portrait,
on the "Ramblas"
its a world famous shopping street!!
When the drawing was finished we went shopping.
Oopsss ..... too many stores for three women :-)
Shopping yeahhhh.....




The beautiful architecture there ....

Find the bird, can you see him..... :-)

We enjoy this weekend "James"

from ~ Weekend Reflections ~

I have two reflection shots for you .......

I love the sea .....so peaceful :-)

The green birds from spain,

we have in The Netherlands

such a birds in a cage as a pet !!

Here they are so free as a bird :-)

The neglected street cats in Spain :(

They are so cute ....

My Mommy has always lost her keys !!

Every day searching in all holes and corners :(

She bought a BIG key ring in Spain

and says that it is a fish.

I can smell no fish and he looks so silly :-)

=^.^=

=^.^=

Have all a relaxing weekend

enjoy and make fun :-)