As a child I had no idea that plant could also mean heavy work vehicles so, yes some of you can see what’s coming, I always imagined some shrubbery legging it across the road whenever I saw the following:

So – Jakkolo. What can I say – I suck. It all started promisingly. Then I fell under the influence of a-ha videos and a rather nice Riesling!!!!!! It all went pear shaped after that!!!

Even our furry friends couldn't tear themselves away from the screen!!

I have pictures to finish, a book to write and world issues to resolve. I can’t possibly fly back tomorrow…………………

The world will always have those who want to work, want to make the world a good, safe place to be and their efforts will not be for a desire for money. In an age where jobs are fewer and our population is on the up, how then can we provide enough employment for those who want to work, and why do we force those who don’t want to contribute to take a position someone else is desperate to get? The obvious starting point is that we feel they shouldn’t be supported by us, the hard working community, that it’s unbalanced and unfair. Do we not need the wisdom to know it’s something we can’t change and therefore focus our energy on something far more constructive?

Can those who cannot find work but who want to contribute to society be supported by us so that they can? After all there aren’t enough jobs and there are tasks to help society that have no monetary reward.

If we don’t allow people to barter or volunteer we are excluding them through no fault of their own. Why does it have to be money alone that has leverage in this world? If one can’t work for money there needs to be a system that can accept other forms of payment. We are, at present, becoming elitist. As someone has just said to me, we are allowing them to play our game of football but then taking the ball away.

Paying people a basic income to live regardless of whether they work seems to be the way forward. The amount would be to ensure the basic needs were met, nothing more. It has nothing to do with the idealistic musings of Morris. It is a solution to the in-balance in society. Money no longer makes the world go round. We need a new way forward.

Charlie as washer woman

Nette as washer woman

As the other party goers fell to the lure of beer, Glühwein and sausages, the two fearless women remained sober and fortified themselves with fries and a mighty fine film.

As the sirens began to ring around Beuel we knew the first casualities had fallen. Luckily we had a blanket to hide ourselves from the enemy.

Nette and Charlie cunningly disguised as a red blanket.

That and a handsome young chap to protect us from the madness – he took some bribing though, I can tell you.

After all the excitement we rewarded ourselves with a beer and and flaked out on the sofa. Hurrah!

So – yesterday. I managed to get some more paining time but the purple dried too dark so I now need to think of a way to lighten it up. Hmpf. It’ a steep learning curve for me. I still want to let go and just see what happens but can’t get over the fact that I’m not happy not knowing the outcome. Perhaps a few glasses of the old vin rouge will help alleviate this problem of mine!!!

After and eventful day of painting, talking (and shouting at cushions) Nette and I made our way to the Korean restaurant waiting for Thomas there. We established that if Nette walks in the road I don’t look like a dwarf. Due to the safety issues around such a discovery I looked like something from Santa’s grotto for the duration of the short journey!

Camera at the ready we soon began recording our night of Korean cuisine.

Me getting up close and personal with Thomas – well actually, what you can’t see is I’m trying to nick his beer – well I am British!!

It’s that plum wine again – I don’t know what I love more Nette or the plum wine!!! Nette of course.

Tucking in to the meal with great gusto!!

It’s that plum wine again!!! Bliss. The happy couple – awwwwww.

And today – I’ve already ventured out. The calm before the storm as it were as today is ‘Carnival’ day in Beuel. Already I have seen normally straight laced Germans buying bread and other provisions dressed in cowboy outfits, clown suits and other colourful attire!!! Can’t wait to see the merriment later!

(photo courtesy of monproductions.com)

To find some such blindingly obvious statement on a packet of nuts makes me want hold the packet towards the sales assistant, pointing to it saying – ‘I should bloody well hope so’. It leads one to ask the question – what it more worrying, the guy that came up with the bright idea to write such enlightening information on to these packets or the bunch of pillocks around the table that agreed with him? Hello? Is it me or………………..

Back to the question in hand. After chatting to Nette about her converstaion with Graham regarding the disabled toilet that never gets used at his local ‘coffee house’ it reminded me about the time when…

…..I lived in America (Florida to be precise) and I had the joy of checking out a ‘Drive thru’ ATM (cash machine). I couldn’t help but notice the braille on the keypad and thinking ‘Which blind person is EVER going to be driving a car through here and using it?’  For the love of all things has this world gone barking?

As an aside for any of you out here that take life too literally and feel the need to point out why – along the lines of bog standard ATM di blah di blah – please, DON’T.

Blame the plum wine at the sushi bar. No it was meant to be random – be glad I didn’t post the picture of the shrubbery.

Keeping on the random theme I shall take you back to the Sushi Bar in Bonn where we wined and dined after a trip to the Osteopath for Nette.Last year I sampled their delights but this time I had the chance to sit back and relax as there was no Morgan to entertain!

Nette looking crazed – the orange colour of the roe has nothing to do with this. I am convinced it was the endorphins released during her treatment. Either way I didn’t argue and let her help herself to as much of the stuff as she wanted. As you can see in Nette’s blog I was far more civlised (cough).

I/we  have pilfered all things lovely from the art shop in Bonn and are now back at Nette’s for more painting. Like a child at Christmas I don’t know where to begin – but I am determined to get away from pen and ink and have a dammed good thrash at the painting mallarchy.

Who am I? I’m a wife, mother, teacher, artist, therapist. I’m me. A contradiction in terms and like anyone else, trying to get through life relatively unscathed!!

Welcome to my world!