Author Archives: womanofpeace

THRIFT STORES of Liege

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I can’t really remember when I wasn’t a thrift store shopper (junkie?). There’s something about sorting through other people’s cast-offs…or maybe it’s the excitement of a bargain. 

In any case, I’m definitely into thrifting, and Liege is FULL of ‘brocante’ shops.

This is the window display of my new favorite second-hand store downtown. Every week they highlight a different color. Everything was gray when I first passed by. The pointed gray shoes made me stop and turn around. Hey, wait! Aren’t those your size? 

They are now in my closet, and I am CRAZY about them.

 
 

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My favorite downtown thrift store.

My favorite downtown thrift store.


Today's Finds

Today’s Finds

Today I found a couple of books, one in French for Jean and one in English for my students, and a couple of Mickey Mouse badges that were just too cute to pass up. The books I know we’ll read and enjoy, but who knows what will become of those little Disney patches. Maybe I’ll sew them onto a scarf. Or maybe they will end up in a bag on it’s way to a thrift store. That happens too 🙂

COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP and the KNOWMAD SOCIETY

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While searching the internet a few weeks ago, I came upon a Wisconsin community health initiative for 2020~ to see presentation slides and get all the details, follow the link:
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/hw2020/pdf/collaborativeleadership.pdf

If you’re like me you may be very inspired.

Here’s why Collaborative Leadership is Necessary:

“People want to be engaged in civic life. They want their views heard, understood and considered. They want to know that their involvement will make a difference, and that the public, not governments or special interest groups, defines the public interest.”

 

If you want to find out if you’re a KNOWMAD, check out it out at http://www.KnowmadSociety.com/
I’m going to have to write a lot more about this…but for now let me just say some doors have been opened in my mind, and I’m feeling INSPIRED!

STREET MEETS in Liege

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We were both waiting at the bus stop. A car slowed down, and two guys were calling out the window to her. They were speaking Bulgarian, and I didn’t think they looked very nice, but she jumped up and ran over. After they drove off, I asked her, “Do you know them?”

“No, not really.”
“Well, I hope you didn’t give them your phone number.”
“Oh no! They gave me theirs, but I’m already deleting it.”
“Smart girl!”
“Yes, I’m studying criminology.”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes, it’s SO interesting! But so many people are also studying it, so I don’t know where I’ll be able to find a job.
At least I hope I can find an apartment by myself so I don’t have to keep living with my mother!

I saw Miryanna again yesterday. She has changed her major, and is feeling a little down about it. I know the feeling. Life changes are always a challenge. One thing to remember: The people you know are more important than your skills. Good luck, Miryanna!

NEW START with ART! ~ with Alesia Bruffaerts

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I’m 62 and starting new, and one of the new things for me is rediscovering art in my life. I was always an artist, but never called myself one. Even though I graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts (USF, Tampa, FL) art was always something I did but never really thought about. 

Now, I’m seeing art everywhere, and in everything I do. It makes me happy to make it, to discover it, and to share it with others. I’ve been posting all the new artist discoveries that I’ve been making this year, and should probably put them all into one single album, so they are easier to find. 

I’ll do that (!) but for now, I am going to post my new favorite artist of the week. She’s a young woman of 18, just recently starting out at university in Leuvan, Belgium. Her major? Dentistry. Her joy? Making ART! Meet Alesia Bruffaerts.

I visited her this past week, and watched as she worked on her latest project. “Wow! How did you do that? It’s beautiful!”

“My dad took a branch of bamboo from the garden, and stuck it into a pot of sand, and backlit it. I just traced the shadows on the wall.”

“Was it hard to choose the colors?”

“We wanted something subtle to match the oriental feeling of the room. It’s my mother’s accupuncture and healing office. The soft colors seemed to fit.”

UNFOLD YOUR RIDE~ the Folding Bikes of Liege

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NOT a folding bike :)

NOT a folding bike 🙂

My husband’s had a folding bike for years now. He bought one when we were in Seoul, and when we got here he bought himself another one. He likes the convenience of being able to fold it up to fit in our small Asian vehicles. 

For me, I was never impressed, and have actually never even gotten on the thing, either of them. Call me old school. I just like the size factor of a 26″ rim. 

But when my New York friends visited us in Liege recently, they commented on all the folding bikes everywhere.
“You mean, they don’t use them in the US?” I’ve been gone for 20 years, so I really wouldn’t know. “We’ve never seen ’em,” they assured me.

OK. That was it. I decided I have to expand my focus~ I’m now officially upgrading from SCARVES to Folding Bikes of Liege. Here is my first subject, fresh off the train from Brussels, to hit the road to work. I loved everything about her get-up, and she was wearing a little itty bitty scarf, too.

STREET MEETS in Liege

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STREET MEETS (or going up to perfect strangers and asking them something meaningful)

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It was almost the end of the day. I was worried about what I would post here. I knew it had to be inspiring, or at least very nice as I had promised.

I had my camera in hand (standard practice), and was waiting at the bus stop on my way home for dinner. Even though she wasn’t wearing a scarf (my new photographic focus) I decided to try out my new STREET MEET script:

“Hi. Do you speak English?”
“Yes. You’re lucky. I do!”

Half-done is well begun 🙂

“I’m doing a blog about people in Liege. Can I ask you a question, and take your picture?”
“OK!” 

I had to think fast at that point, because I hadn’t actually prepared a question.

“Uhhh…. What’s the most inspiring thing going on in your life right now?’

“Well, I’ve been traveling by myself for 3 months, and I’ve been to 15 countries. I’m on my way to the U.K. and stopping by Liege to visit a friend I met in France.”
“Wow! Do you like traveling alone? I mean, I’d feel nervous to go without my daughter or husband.”

“Oh! Traveling alone is so empowering. You feel like, I can do anything after this! Even when bad things happen, you figure out how to deal with them.”
“What was the worst thing that happened to you?”
“I got my stuff stolen in Milan. That was bad. But I met so many kind people who helped me, and I learned a lot. I’m so glad I’ve had this experience before settling down. I would recommend it to anyone. Don’t hesitate. Just go!”

A Postscript:

I was re-reading this story tonight and did a double-take when I read, “I got my stuff stolen in Milan.” Wait! Was that me speaking??

I had my stuff stolen in Milan also, years ago when I was backpacking around Europe with a friend. So strange that this random traveler tells me the same thing. Milan must have a lot of problems….Or?