Jill Carroll is free!

Yes, I know it's almost old news by now, but I only heard about it on my way home from work now.

For those who don't know, Jill is an American journalist who had been kidnapped almost four months ago in Iraq.

I don't know Jill, and I don't even know Treasure of Baghdad or 24 Steps to Liberty, who often worked with her and are her friends, but I regularly read their blogs, and, well, if you do that, you start to care... I am so very happy to know she was let go today.

*smiles widely at readers*

Last Sunday...

... I took some pictures.

Unfortunately, Blogger now also has the "I don't feel like uploading pictures" sickness, so I had to use the Hello bot. 10 useless posts to be deleted again to make this one. Thank you, Blogger! What's up with the guys these past weeks?



a tree I needed to take a picture of


pretty flowers


artistically mossy phone mast


"Good grief, why is this madwoman stalking us?! Come on, let's turn around again to shake her off!"


more pretty flowers


and again


spray on the local brook


spray seen from the other side


bridge to nowhere


yes, that's a clever idea, putting down rat poison where kids play...

It's the fasting season!

So what?

I thought that since I read so much about Eids and Ramadan on the blogs it was time to mention how religiously motivated fasting is done over here.

Not that this applies in any way to me, what with me being a Protestant, but anyway.

From last Wednesday on (the last day of the Carnival season) until Easter good Catholics are fasting. (Very good Catholics do this every Friday by the way.) This is rather different from the way Muslims fast during Ramadan.
Some clever person at some point in time came up with the idea that it's fasting already if you don't eat any meat. It's allowed to eat cheese instead. Or fish. *makes a thoughtful face* Er, call me Mrs Silly, but fish is meat, but anyway. And of course potatoes and vegetables and stuff. I suppose stuffing your face with the food allowed would be frowned upon, as is eating sweets and the like.

To be fair, there are a very few who really fast in that time, but that is not the rule.

But I have been thinking. I have not only been forgoing meat (including fish!), but all animal products for.... oh dear.... can it really be 8 years already? Now, I think that's hardcore enough to allow me chips and the like in return and make me a Saint or something. :)

And the winner is...

... the dark and handsome stranger!

Well, I don't know that of course, but anyway.


If you are - possibly - from Salt Lake City, Utah, use qwest.net and came to my blog from Morbid Smile's blog at 6:55:42 am CET on Febuary 28th you have been the 1000th person to come onto my humble blog.

Should you return here to read this, you are allowed to run down your block, shouting "Wow! Yay! I won! Number 1000!" and pick yourself some nice flowers once the weather is nice enough for them to grow again.

In any case, congrats, and thanks for dropping by.


Well, David, this time it didn't work out for you. You were number 1001 about one hour later. Shame on you. ;)