***Holiday Card Swap 2013***

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

All my cards are on their way since yesterday !!!

[Freedom]

Lut, received yours today. OMGosh you are too fast!!!! Thank you, and thanks for pointing out that the stamp is your new King Filip.

[Barbara]

I got Lut's and Bonnie's - and mine are ready to go

[Casper]

I received lovely cards from Lut and Bonnie, as well. Mine will be in the mail by Friday!

[phesina]

Thanks to Lut.. lovely card; what is the language of the greetings, Dutch? And also for the stamp with your King's portrait... I didn't even know Belgium was a monarchy!

And thanks to Bonnie.. I love the sweet picture of Roselle!

And thanks to Barbara.. and Kiri and Orion, for writing the greeting and stamping the gold.. lovely snowflake! And I just now discovered the card is a built-in Advent Calendar, so I've opened all the days so far.

Happy holidays, everyone!

[Freedom]

All mailed out this morning!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Thanks to Lut.. lovely card; what is the language of the greetings, Dutch? And also for the stamp with your King's portrait... I didn't even know Belgium was a monarchy!

My country became a monarchy after many foreign occupations (the last 2 were Napoleon, and The Netherlands. We didn't want that any longer, so Belgium became a monarchy in 1830.
Since then we had several kings: Leopold I, Leopold II, Albert I, Leopold I, Boudewijn I, King Albert 2, and Filip I. King Leopold abdicated last summer and made his oldest son the new King of Belgium.
Belgium may be a very small country (size of Maryland), but it has a very interesting history!!

Oops sorry for going off-topic... ! No need to say I loved "history" at school

[phesina]

Very interesting... Clearly you did, and do, love history!

Thank you, Lut!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Thanks to Lut.. lovely card; what is the language of the greetings, Dutch?

Oops, I forgot to answer on this question....
Yes, it is Dutch! Belgium has 3 official languages: Dutch, French & German!

[phesina]

Is there another language, Flemish? (Or is that a version of Dutch?)

Do you and your family, Lut, speak all those languages? Do Belgians in general? Do official publications need to be published in all three languages?

Thanks, Lut! You live in a very interesting country.

Pat, who speaks only one language