A Postcard A Day - Friday 3 January 2020 - Friday Smiles

Hello lovely people! It's 2020 and I hope that you have all had a lovely holiday. For many people it is now time to go back to work or their usual routine. My routine is to write a Friday blog with this week's smiles and postcards, so here we go:

My first postcard  comes from the UK and looks like a book. It is the front page of a children's book from the Ladybird series. I remember Ladybird books from my childhood . This one is from a later date as the Key Words Reading Scheme hadn't been invented when I was a child (in the early 50s). The first book in the series, Ladybird series 641, was published in 1964, and the series was completed by the first publication of the 36th book in 1967. Over 80 million books in the series have been sold worldwide, and the books remain in print in 2012.

The first book uses the 12 key words which are used repeatedly ("Here is Peter", "Peter is here", "Here is Jane", "Jane is here", "I like Peter", "I like Jane"). Additional words are introduced gradually, page by page, to expand the reader's reading vocabulary, with the new words on each page set out in a footnote. The reader can consolidate their learning with books 1b, or practise writing in book 1c, all with the same vocabulary; or progress to book 2a (and 2b and 2c), and so on, with 12 sets of three books in all.

I have asked for postcards on the subject of books, so this is a perfect card for me.

The second postcard comes from Russia and shows a winter scene by Rina Zeniuk featuring Zimushka the blue cat.

Blue cats are a type of cat from Russia:

I've not been able to find any information about the artist other than she is famous for her 'blue cats'.

We are still in the Netherlands. Just having a quiet, quality time with mum. Enjoying cooking her nice meals and doing chores and odd job for her.

We have done one day of sightseeing. We went to Utrecht between Xmas and New Year. We saw a typical Dutch street organ, like the ones I remember from my childhood. 

They would come into our street, play music, and the man would power the organ by turning a big wheel. His companion would collect coins in a copper little recepticle. (This photo is not mine but from the internet)

 On New Year's eve I made a potato salad that we traditionally make in our family. It contains beetroot, hence the red colour. We had lots of meat eft from Christmas, so there is a good amount of meat in there too. Very yummy it was indeed.

 Another typically Dutch thing are 'oliebollen', deep fried sweet dough balls with raisins.  (See photo)

 And I made a chocolate brownie in a tree mould.

 At midnight a toast with some bubbly,

 then the fun begins!

 We spent a couple of hours looking out of the window and enjoying the fireworks.

That is it from me. As usual I have found some funnies to make you smile.

I'm going to link up with Annie t A Stitch In Time and with Virginia at Celtic House.

Wishing everyone a very happy 2020,

Hugs,

Lisca