LISELOTTE & NIELS JØRGEN THØGERSEN
Rixensart, December 2020
Dear family and friends – nearby and far away!
Somebody told us that we are about to reach the end of a year once again. It is time to not only think about you all, but also to
send you our warmest greetings!
We want to wish you and your loved ones a very nice and lovely Christmas. And we also hope for us all that the new year, 2021, will be much better
and much less troublesome than the one about to end! Whatever has happened and whatever might come we hope you agree with us that the coming week, yes weeks, have to be used in a positive and forward looking way. Science has proven that positive
minded people live longer. We have certainly bought tickets to that trip 😊
What a year it has been ☹ Personally, we are fine,
though. We have had no direct trouble with the virus. And our family hasn’t either, fortunately. But we have several friends, who have had or have the unpleasant “pleasure”. We wish them fast and full recovery !
We are fully aware that we as senior citizens with no obligations to a work place or to small children are lucky. The Belgian lockdown in the spring and also now does not give us many serious troubles. No travelling. No restaurants or bars. No
dinners or parties, but we have done so much of it that we use the time to think about them all ! People with jobs and small children have much bigger difficulties – in practical terms and also with the risk of being contaminated.
At least it is a comfort to see that efficient vaccines are now being rolled out. We look forward to having our injection. And we will do all we can to convince everybody that they must do the same. Not
only for their own sake, but for everybody’s sake. This is a huge problem, which we have to tackle together. No cheating and “free riders”, please!
As you know we enjoy
travelling, not least also on cruise ships around the world. We had a great trip to Marrakech in Morocco in January to celebrate my special birthday. Very interesting place, indeed. Afterwards we had planned a great cruise in the Baltic Sea in
the summer with the whole family. No go ☹ And a sunny holiday in Tenerife in December was, of course, also off. So we have enjoyed “Costa del Rixensart” – indoor and outdoor.
Not bad either. With a very skilled Chef in the kitchen and very willing “clients” to enjoy the gorgeous food life is more than bearable. We just have to watch out to avoid that no extra corona kilos arrive for permanent
stay! So far we have succeeded. Also because we enjoy walking. I ( Niels ) have enjoyed almost 1000 km this year too.
Politically, this year has also been very special – to say
the least. Events and developments in the US and in the UK have very often been beyond logics and comprehension ☹ Let’s hope that people will come to their senses and things will fall reasonably
into place. Europe – surrounded by problematic neighbours on almost all sides and now and then also from inside – has fortunately shown determination and taken a range of very important and long-term decisions. On the fight for the climate,
on research and innovation, on its “Green Deal”, on the joint fight against the virus ( incl. the vaccine “Made in Europe” from BIONTECH-PFIZER ) on a huge assistance and recovery programme after the COVID problems, on a long-term
budget, etc. Now it all has to be implemented step by step. And to succeed citizens all over Europe have to be not only informed, but actively involved. This is a huge task, which hopefully will succeed too.
We are optimistic about the coming months and years. Not because life will be easy. But because we feel that there is a determination everywhere to tackle the present problems and to move on. As chancellor Angela Merkel said this
week: We need a loud YES, WE CAN !
Like in the present fight against the virus we ALL need to join in and make things happen. And to reach that goal we all have to believe,
to be convinced, that we can make it together. Working together is winning together!! As always.
No Christmas without presents. We also have one for you. We are strong believers
in the fact that KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND PLEASURE - making life much more interesting and valuable, and making each of us more interesting for others. Let us together put all this terrible Fake News in the bin – including
those who spread it.
Our contribution is a new site on our Google Drive. It is called:
BE
IN THE KNOW
It contains a lot of information, which we think is interesting and useful – perhaps even entertaining. We hope you will think the same. It will constantly
be updated. And your comments and suggestions will as always be most welcome.
So, save the link! You are also very welcome to share it with your friends and contacts.
Warm end-of-year greetings – have a lovely time – stay safe – and let us be in contact soon again.
Warmest greetings from Rixensart, Belgium,
Liselotte and Niels
35,
Avenue de l’Europe, B-1330 Rixensart, Belgium
Tel. 00322 652 0812
Mobiles: 0032 47 47
47 040 (N) – 0032 477 665 127 (L)
Skype – Viber – What’s App
E-mails:
niels4europe@gmail.com
lilo25thogersen@gmail.com