Something to Bring Home...

A serving plate

Butter Dish

With Butter...it comes in a brick.  This is a medium
size.  Some are quite large.

There are many items the Ex-Pats collect to remember there time
abroad.  Some collect the glasses that go
with the Belgian beers.  Some collect Starbucks Mugs from the
different cities around Europe, or t shirts from the
Hard Rock Cafes, etc.  I am going to collect Polish Pottery.  It actually does come from Poland, and it mixes and matches very well.  There are several different patterns that all incorporate the same colors, but not the same designs.  I have always loved china.  Both of my grandparents worked at Crown Pottery in Evansville and I have 2 sets of dishes that were my moms and grandma's.  The wives of 2 of Hubby's co-workers also are collecting this.  There was an "Open House" I went to today and purchased these pieces.  It truly was an open house, in a neighborhood, in the seller's bonus room...tables and tables of pottery, some even sitting on her sofa.  She was British and she had the coolest kitchen and stove.  It is an AGA cooker and she brought it with her from England.  Originally it used wood, but they had it fitted for gas.  It kept her kitchen very cosy.  She didn't seem to think it was odd I wanted to take a photo of it.

Oh Happy day...

I found a store in Waterloo that carries these beautiful things I love.  I looked at the price of the fabric...
and I don't remember how much it was.   I really don't need any fabric or tools, but it is nice to know where I can get some.

My neighborhood will celebrate Halloween this Thursday.  It is not a Belgium holiday, but the school Baby Girl attends celebrates it.  The kids go Trick or Treating through the neighborhood across from the school.  Families have been bringing in candy to the school and today I helped sort it and distributed it to some participating families.  Lots of varieties...can't wait to go through Baby Girl's bag when she gets home!  I hear I will probably need every piece...one mom gave out 600 pieces of candy last year.

It's Fall

Hubby sent a picture of the view from our
town home patio.

I live in  neighborhood with older trees.

I love how they frame the street.

This is a bush in my back yard.  It is so pretty
and the leaves are very feathery and soft.

Back in Belgium

I went back to the US for about 12 days.  I got to see my son, meet his roommate, see his dorm room, go to a ISU football game, shop with my son and feed my son.  It was wonderful!  Number one son is doing very well.  Making his parents proud.  He has made a good transition into college life and dorm living.

I also got to go on a quilting retreat.  I sewed and slept and talked and laughed.  It was fun and I even got to feel cold MN wind.

Best of all I got to see lots of friends that I miss.  I didn't get to see everyone that I wanted to, time flew by.

Hubby, Baby Girl and dog all did fine in my absence. They were pampered by the very welcoming community here.

I have been back now a couple of nights, my sleep is still messed up. I did errands today and I forgot how aggressively they drive here.   The trees are changing now in my back yard, it is very pretty and very wet.