I have also been touched by the kindness and thoughtfulness of my fellow Belgian residents. All pregnant women may ride first class on the trains with a second class ticket. On a bus, tram or metro, I have rarely had to wait more than a few moments before someone offers me their seat, even when it is half-empty. If I am in a queue at a sandwich store, people will often insist that I go before them. I have had a gang of youths chase after me, each holding a handful of mushrooms from a box that had fallen out of my basket. Last weekend, I noticed the security guard at my local supermarket watching me very closely, so I made sure I was holding onto my receipt as I left the store. However it turned out he just wanted to help me with my shopping and return my trolley for me.

I feel very lucky that this pregnancy has gone so smoothly so far, and I feel surrounded by a great support network from both those near and far.

In 2005, the Bremerhaven Zoo noticed their relationship and introduced four sexy female Swedish Humboldt penguins in an attempt to “cure” their homosexuality. However, they and the other four gay penguins in the twenty-strong community were not swayed by the newcomers and remained committed. They even substituted rocks for eggs as they huddled together in their cave-nests.

During Easter, zookeepers noticed that an egg had been rejected by its parents and pushed out of the nest. Observing Z-Punkt and Viel-Punkt’s apparent desire, they placed the egg outside their nest. The couple immediately noticed, brought it back to their cave, and began to share the duties of hatching. A few days ago the baby hatched, and both fathers have since been happily and diligently handling the everyday duties of raising an endangered Humboldt penguin. The name of the offspring has yet to be announced. I suggest Süß-Punkt (“cute-dot”).

From newsbizzare.

Today we gathered at Solstice Square (near the Adobe headquarters) celebrated a new sculpture – titled “Late for the Interurban”, to complement the existing sculpture “Waiting for the Interurban”. Even the governor of Washington attended the unveiling, however that was not for whom the crowd had gathered. Look very closely at this photo for a clue:

They were waiting for Julius Pierpont Patches and Gertrude, who is to Seattlites what Mr Squiggle is to Australians. The Emmy award winning show entertained both children and adults on Seattle television for thirteen years, from 1958 to 1981. After the show finished, the actors Chris Wedes and Bob Newman dedicated their time to visiting hospitals and raising funds for medical research. And, now both in their eighties, they donned their costumes one last time to witness their likenesses forever commemorated in bronze by sculptor Kevin Pettelle.

Chris Wedes’s sixteen year old grand-daughter spoke at the unveiling, and talked about how she has met hundreds of Patches Pals over the years, who told her how JP Patches was a bright spot in their lives, even when their lives as children were perhaps filled with abuse, ostracisim, or depression. A representative from Seattle Children’s Hospital thanked them for entertaining her children, and giving her a few extra much needed hours every afternoon. There will be a donation box at the base of the statue to raise further funds for the Seattle Children’s Hospital, so the legacy of JP Patches will forever continue.

The crowd was full of tears, smiles, and cheers. I love living in a neighbourhood where people come together to celebrate the power of a smile.