How swift a years goes by...

When I was a little kid, a year seemed to last for ages. Now that I'm into my sixties, they appear to go by in a blink.

It doesn't seem so long ago that we were celebrating New Year in Mexico. Can still hear the mariachi sing. And now it's almost the end of November. Only one more month to go until another new year.

Well, it has been an uneventful year this time. In 2018 I made two bad falls (I kip over more than once, as I fall easily over small things like borders, upturned stones etc.). Mostly when I fall I don't hurt myself (besides some scrapes) but in April and June of 2018 I managed to bruise my ribs and twice had a beautiful blue eye.

Will keep my fingers crossed that I don't fall in the coming month!

It's been a good year as well, as I had some unexpected goodies coming my way. A nice return of taxes (I hadn't expexted that much) which allows to pay for a trip to Barcelona. And later, in summer, a nice sum donated by the Ministry of Health, as a forfait for all the medicine I take and the times I have to go for check-ups in the hospital. Apparently you receive this sum, even when you don't actually have any costs (I was so lucky to get a hospitalisation insurance next to the health care every Belgian gets). This Klini Plan pays back all the extra costs that are for me, after the health care has paid for most of the costs. We really have a fine social insurance in Belgium. That unexpected money was good for paying the hotel room in Brussels that summer.

This year, we'll spend New Year's Eve at home, but Christmas will be spent in Egypt. And just before that trip we'll spend a weekend in Brussels once more, to see the christmas market at the Grand Place and the massive fir tree that has been raised there.

Hopefully 2020 will be a good year as well!