GETTING OLD AND HAVING FUN

"Happy" pictures are here

With 57 Pookie is still a young girl !


Each thursday morning I go to my painting group. We are all retired woman and a few man the youngest is 57 and the oldest 85 ! In total about 30. Our "class" room is located in the Waterloo's retirement home. It is very big and usually used for all kind of festivities by the people living here.

Our group is worse than a kindergarden, or maybe a class full of Teenagers because of the giggles. We are very noisy. There is a lot of laughter and our teacher has a voice like an amplifier not to teach but to tell us about the stories of her life ! And as there are many, she never runs out of subjects.

Unfortunately during July and August we are on "school" holidays. It's very frustrating because we are all on eternal holidays so why forcing us to stay home for two months ? Holidays shouldn't be allowed for retired people.

Therefore four of us decided to brake this rule and get together anyway. As the room is free on thursday mornings we meet together there to paint and more to have fun. We are the toddlers of the group. Quite often pensioners are looking through the door to see who makes such a noise because we talk and laugh a lot.

It's amazing how some people in their 80/90 are still so young, sometimes even younger then a 30 year old. They do plenty of things, are always occupied, even have dancing lessons and a lot of other activities. It's a real pleasure to see and talk to them because it proves that even at a very old age you still can do a lot of things and enjoy life. In some way it is reassuring that getting old on your passport doesn't mean that you are getting old in your mind.

There are even 4 people, two women and two men who are 100, 101 and 102 years old and they still live in a flat, not in a room, with their own furniture and even a little kitchen. These flats a part of the home. Of course they don't cook anymore not because they are not able to do it but because they are too lazy. Especially the women told us that they have cooked enough in their lives. None of them walks with crutches, they walk slowly but safely. When you talk to them it's just like talking to somebody your age or younger. They went with the time and didn't get stuck in the past. But when they talk about the past it's very interesting. Can you imagine being born 100 years ago ? All the inventions which have been done ! From telephone over washing machines, television and computers ? We even walk on the moon now !

When I see these people I only wish I would become old their way and not sit in a corner and getting on the nerves of my children and complain the whole day about all kind of diseases and how lonely I am and that everybody has abandonned me ! Because that I see here too. Waiting from meal to meal, watching people and TV and just do nothing else but yammer the whole day. These people indeed are very old even when they are only in their 70th.

FRIDAY FEAST

Where is my feast ??

Appetizer
Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?

Louis Armstrong ! Not that my life was rusty, but he has such a rusty voice.

Soup
Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.)

Who is the nut who invented such a question ?? I am allergic to any kind of nuts even human once.

Salad
If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose?

I don't want to go back in the first place I prefer the decades in front of me ! Anyway all decades have been nice as far as my Alzenheimer allows souvenirs, but don't ask me about one week !

Main Course
Name a song that brings back memories for you.

How can I know ? First I have to hear some songs to check if they bring back memories and as I don't listen to any songs for the moment, (everybody in the house is still asleep and I don't want to wake them up with my memories) I have a black out !

Dessert
Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water ?

Who tells you that I wash my hands ? Anyway If I do it would be tepid.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

But laughing is allowed !

WEEKLY COMPILED NEWS

Now I know why there are so poor news about royals ! They are all on holidays ! I just read that the Spanishs are in Mallorca, Frederic and Mary somwhere in Denmark at Grasten Residence. No idea where that is, but with the bad weather in the Northern countries why don't they go south ? Maybe not enough money. Yes that's it.

What read I here ? Our king is worried. Since two and a half months poor Belgium is without government. Since the elections, they only found a prime minister but are fighting to put up a government. Don't ask me how that can happen I think it's the only country in the world who has such a strange system. In fact the flemish speaking politicians don't agree with what the french speaking want and the other way around. So the king plays the role of a brave father trying to settle fights between his children. Poor man, I think he has sleepless nights and headaches even without wearing his crown.

The Queen is refusing to fly the Union Jack flag at half mast to mark the tenth anniversary of Princess Diana's death later this month. Again !! She has done this already 10 years ago and nearly risked her thrown, maybe she now wants Charles on it ??

Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry’s girlfriend, had an emergency operation on Wednesday to remove her appendix. Now that's really important for the world's future !

And that's again all for the royals.

But here !! Wow ! A Ferrari dated from 1963, belonging to late Steve McQueen has been sold for 2.3 million $ at Christie's ! and Mr. Gattino missed to buy it, that's a shame. It was bought by somebody who wants to remain anonymous. Our garage will remain empty. Sigh*

Half of dogs and cats in the UK are now overweight, according to the RSPCA. Horrible, now the poor animals too have to go to a fitness club and eating vegetables ! I don't agree ! it's much better to be fat and happy then starving and unhappy !

600 persons posed naked in Switzerland in front of a glacier to demonstrate clima changements and global warming ! Thanks god I wasn't there 600 naked horrors for a good cause !

A woman in Australia has been killed by her pet camel after the animal may have tried to have sex with her ! I like the word "may" in this sentence ! Isn't that romantic ? Only the poor woman died of the ardor of her camel in love ! Sad, sad.

An orthodoxe priest, married and father of two children will be on trial in Greece. Very jalous because he suspected his wife being the neighbor's lover he had cut the brakes of his car and thrown a molotov cocktail inside. Fortunately the neighbor in question has not been hurt, the attacks were discovered in time. Now I better understand why the pope doesn't want that priests get married !! They only are jalous about the lover of their mistress and that's not the same.

A bat found roosting in a phonebox in Cornwall. The poor lady who wanted to call her friend was quiete surprised to see a bat hanging there instead of the phone. It's a shame these things never happen to me, I only would find a fat spider.

I hope your general knowledge is improved by now !

MANIC MONDAY - DEAL

MANIC MONDAY LINK

Pookie has to deal now with her new "sister" Rosie !

When I was engaged with my first love, my parents didn't appreciate at all, although my father would never have admitted it. My fiance was Italian and, worse from the very south (Sicily) He was an artist and didn't have a "serious work" and no regularly income in my father's eyes. In his opinion a girl had to marry for financial security. He would have liked his daughter to marry a rich nobel so he could tell everybody he was the father in law of Lord Soandso and at least all the money he had spent to buy me the nicest clothes would have been a good investment.

I didn't agree with that at all, I never wanted to be dependent on a man. I had the worst example in front of my eyes, my mother !

So he made me a deal. He would buy me a new car, a nice little Volkswagen if I would brake up my engagement. I found this disgusting not even a deal but rather a blackmailing and intended to refuse. I already had a car, it was not a new one but still in a very good shape. But then my friends told me that I would be stupid I should take the car and continue the relationship with my first love. I thought it over and finally found out that they were right. Nobody had the right to make unfair deals or blackmailing me.

I accepted and got my new car, a creme colored Volkswagen brand new ! The first thing I did, was driving to my fiance to show him. I was very happy with my car and we even drove with it to Italy. It wasn't difficult to fake that I broke up my engagement. Not even a year later I broke it up anyway.

Since I can think my father had always been like that a dealer ! Not one for drugs but to obtain what he wanted. His motto was "You do that and I give you that" ! I hated it and promised myself never to become like him.

Most girls are dealing very well with their fathers, but my father really wasn't a lovable man.

CYBER CRUISE TO THE SOUTH EAST COAST OF THE UK

WELCOME TO THE CRUISE !



For the worried women about her hairdo, this is not needed !

Before we start it is maybe better to eat something especially for our captain Mrs. Lifecruiser because she is always hungry. And from stopping her to say all 5 minutes that she is hungry, here are some sausages and and icecream. Sausages are very good in the UK and there are a lot of different kinds.


Beer is very good too and of course the traditional cup of tea which is a must !



When we come back from our excursion you may have a glass of champaign which I brought with me from Belgium. Alcohol is very expensive in the UK at least 1/3 more expensive then in Belgium. This counts also for tobacco, cigarettes cost about 8 € against 4.30 € in Belgium. But these prices don't hinder people to smoke like chemneys. A lot of them roll their cigarettes then it's cheaper.

Since a few months smoking is not allowed anymore not even in pubs which even bothers non smokers because there is not the same ambiance anymore. Not to loose their clients Pub owners put table and seats outside when they have enough space and to many of Pub visitors this looks too "french". A lot of them complain that the typical charm of a Pub is lost with this law. Pub is the abreviation of Public House and exists since the 13th century. As many houses had no heating, people used to go in Pubs to warm up. There is a whole history about Pubs here.


Inside of a typical Pub

And now please open here



This is for Captain Mrs. Lifecruiser after the visit !