In the inimitable words of “ Are You Being Served?”
“I’m here!”
——-NO- it is “ I’m free,”
Thanks, I have been having a right old sort out ,getting stuff ready for the lady who does my tax return, it is a bit complicated with the Belgian one being included so that supplements my British one , which is lower because of 12 years in Belgium.
Each month the rate of exchange is different so calculations and a form in Flemish to be completed .
My son could do the English one but I don’t like to bother him, he has enough to do with the Flemish one.
I wonder sometimes about people who have not contributed to our system - they must get a pittance when they come here ,at least there was an agreement between Belgium and Britain that each would pay pensions for any years spent in their countries, but must have been in employment and paid the N,I, contributions in the country they were domiciled in.I was not allowed to work ,so the pension is from my husband’s contributions.
It is reams of paperwork but does make up the shortfall in my British pension.
Lots of blank sheets of paper,well one side for Flash Harry and Kyra to use next visit .
I used to do someting pretty at school with the reception class.
Fold a piece of paper in half ,short side to short side ,open and paint with wallpaper adhesive all over .
Splash paint blobs randomly on one half only on the wet paste.
Fold over so both sides match and rub your hands over to spread the paint .
Then open and both sides are exactly the same ,all blurred.
Leave to dry and then re- fold and cut out a half butterfly shape ., from thr folded edge.
When opened colour in the body and head, attach a pipe cleaner to the head part if you want .
The effect is lovely .
Each butterfly is different but both wings exactly the same.
%We had them all along the corridor .
The first collage I did at that school was a jungle theme ,for in the cloakroom, with no regard to geographical locations we had tigers and lions ,leopards ,elephants- well heads coming out of foliage ,rhinoceroses etc .
One child was really timid and would not go into the cloakroom so we made a special lion ,well he did and added it with a label saying he had made that one all by himself .
It looked somewhat like a constipated kitten -but-he had made it and then was brave enough to run the gauntlet of all the other man eaters.
They were peeping out of foliage ,and the cloakroom was a bit dark so perhaps it was understandable,He was only four,aaaaaw.
Well must get on.
Hope all are alright ,are able to keep warm and active .
Look after yourselves, we are a special generation.
Cheerio.Viktoria.