FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. I started the week with shopping for us and for Dominique, who can't move due to her backache. It was awfully cold for a middle of June we only had 10°C (50F) during the day with on top a cold wind ! Nevertheless the grass grows and I had to mow the lawn, fortunately Oscar the robot did it for me, he doesn't mind temperatures or wind. I didn't know that this thing is so strong, I had put a chair upside down to protect a piece of lawn, and suddenly when I looked out of the window I saw the chair moving to and fro with the robot underneath. I should have taken a picture because it looked so funny, but I rather ran outside to lift up the chair and free the lawn mower before it broke !

2. When I wasn't feeling well I didn't mind to stay inside, but now I start to feel like a prisoner. So after some household scores and blogwork I went to my Indian House (store), just to escape, I always feel on holidays there. Other women had the same idea and sat in the corner around a tea table and had Indian tea. I joined in and we chatted a bit. Then I walked around to see if there were new things and of course couldn't resist to buy two necklaces which were on sale !

3. On my way back from aqua gym, a street was closed. Unfortunately I had left Madame GPS at home for an update ! To find the way home should have been very easy, but not for me ! I followed my instinct and did a sightseeing tour through Waterloo in places I didn't even know that they existed. After 15 min (which is usually the time I need to arrive at home) I thought I do the other way around and when my instinct tells me to go left, I go right. Indeed that helped and suddenly I was in front of the station ! From there I knew the way home. Mr. G. who wondered why I was so late, asked me where I have been and I had to admit that I had no idea ! It didn't surprise him at all, he was only too happy that I didn't end up at the sea front which is 100 km far from here. From now on I will always take my GPS with me, even if I just go to the shop around the corner or across the street to my neighbor !

4. Being both fed up staying home all the time, Dominique and I decided to go out for a little lunch together. She can walk a little and it is OK for her to sit. Only standing hurts. We choose "La Pomme" (the Apple), a kind of Pub which has excellent salads, spare ribs and steaks. No baked potato unfortunately! The food was excellent, we had a funny waiter and laughed a lot. Satisfied with our little excursion we drove home and she could lay down again.



The weather was warm enough for me to install my "office" outside. The carton helps to keep the light away and I can see the screen normally.

5. Each year when the schools end, Waterloo city organizes a trip for their seniors. This time we went to Lille in France. At 7.15 we had to be at the parking place where 4 buses waited for us. 



Our first stop was in Lessines to visit the old hospital "Notre Dame à la Rose"  which dates from the 13 century.



Better not to be sick at that time, the instruments were horrible and when you see the syringes there certainly would be less drug addicts !



Then we stopped in the middle of the countryside at a very beautiful restaurant, surrounded by a huge park, llamas, alpacas, and horses. Ideal for wedding receptions or other celebrations.



The menu too was very good, the starter was "foie gras", followed by "turkey à la normande" and vanilla ice cream.

Then we continued our way to Lille in France. Unfortunately it started to rain and when we arrived in Lille it rained so much that we went into a shopping center instead of visiting the city. There at least we stayed dry.



So I didn't see very much of Lille, but enough to wish to go back there when the sun is shining. It looks like a nice town, especially the old center.

Then we returned home and we all agreed, we had a wonderful day !

DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN DEVICE ?

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

During my tour around the UK, each night we stayed in another city and in another hotel. My first question was when we had got our room keys "Do you have Internet". The answer was always "yes" except in one hotel which looked like a little castle and was in renovation.

Besides my astonishment about the sometimes horrendous internet connection prices, I was also confronted with a new word "device" ! I mean the word is not new but the meaning has changed. And that I didn't know. The first time when a receptionist asked me if I had my own "device", I asked myself what she meant ! I asked her "what do you mean by device ?" she looked at me surprised and said "an iPad" No, I answered,  I have no iPad but I have a notebook. Now she was surprised. I told her that it was also a computer but in miniature, and therefore also a "device". When I had payed I told her to better use the word Computer instead of "Device" or she should say "do you have a thing"! 

I didn't want to remain ignorant and googled for the word "Device" !

An online dictionary explained :

de•vice (dɪˈvaɪs)
n.
1. a thing made for a particular purpose, esp. a mechanical, electric, or electronic invention or contrivance.
2. a plan, scheme, or procedure for effecting a purpose.
3. a crafty scheme; trick.
4. a word pattern, figure of speech, theatrical convention, etc., used in a literary or dramatic work to evoke a desired effect.
5. something elaborately or fancifully designed.
6. a representation or design used esp. as a heraldic charge or an emblem.
7. a motto; slogan.
8. Archaic. devising; invention.

In short : a device means a thing !

I found a new website "Webopedia" ! (not Wikipedia) and there it makes it really clear :

"Any machine that feeds data into a computer"

For example, a keyboard is an input device, whereas a display monitor is an output device. Input devices other than the keyboard are sometimes called alternate input devices. Mice, trackballs, and light pens are all alternate input devices.

I rubbed my hands and purred like a cat ! Now I knew ! I will show them that old ladies are not so stupid as especially young males think when it comes to computers ! I only hoped to find a receptionist who would ask me "THE" question "do you have your own device ?"


my devices

And it happened in the last hotel ! I innocently looked at the young man and asked him, "what device do you mean exactly ? my keyboard, my monitor, my mouse, or my Ethernet cable ? I have it all, but I call that a computer !" I should have taken a picture of his face ! But then he started to laugh and I explained him my adventure with the word "Device" in the first hotel, and still laughing he agreed, that never ever again he would ask a client "Do you have your own device ?"

Devices

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

more participants here

ABC Wednesday is here





St. Pancras Station London

OUR WORLD - Loch Ness

Of course my UK tour also included a visit to Loch Ness ! And for once the sun was shining and this normally so misterious place, looked cheerful and not spooky it all !



And as evidence that I had been there I dared to sit and pose on the monster !

Read more here ...

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of June 8 . If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

We had such a nice and sunny weather on Saturday, that I only went out because I needed grass seed and something to put in  the lawn mower robot and some household cleaning stuff.



Without knowing exactly what to buy, I stumbled over a special offer of plastic boxes on wheels ! It was perfect ! Oscar fitted in, plus all the cables from the other electric stuff



and I even found a cute oil lamp for evenings.



After lunch and an "Escape to the country" per TV, I installed my "office" on the terrace and purred like my cats overlooking the little flowers on the grass and all this green around me.Little Rosie watched from under the bushes.

I chatted a little with Dominique she gave me a shopping list of what she would need during the week. The poor girl had gone to the South of France to spend 10 days there together with her brother and SIL, she left on Wednesday and on Friday I suddenly saw her in her kitchen. She had to come back in urgency because the problems in her spine had become so painful that she could hardly stand it. Now she has to lay down most of the time and on Thursday she will see the surgeon and then be operated immediately. These are dangerous surgeries and of course she is quiet depressed.

On Sunday morning it was quiet cold but I still needed some plants for my rock garden. I quickly went to the market and bought some, and hope that it's enough now.



The once from last year have already grown and I hope that next year I won't see the earth anymore ! Then I bought deep frozen ready plates for Dominique in my special shop and also some fruits and bread, so that she just has to heat it up her suppers in the microwave !

So it was a quiet and relaxing weekend, which sometimes is nice too !

NAKED LIGHTS

Of course on our tour, the bus became hungry and had to be fed !



We stopped at a petrol station and posed for our 70th birthday.



and then read this. From the 10 nationalities on board nobody knew what a naked light means. No Smoking everybody understood it was written everywhere ! But naked lights ? Maybe they should be dressed up but how ? We tried to find an appropriate cloth for the poor naked light, but came to no conclusion.

At the next internet stop I googled and Google found the following explanations :

Ads related to naked light (but obviously not for petrol stations)

1. High Quality Chandeliers - At Factory Direct Prices

2. Single Ukraine Ladies
Ukrainian girls and women are looking for dating with foreign men

3. Light Therapy, the official range with all specifications. Compare and find out (find out what, dressed or naked ?)

4. The Science of Light provides hands-on activities for teachers and their students who are exploring light, color, reflection, refraction, etc. (naked or dressed ?)

And my dictionary just informed me that naked is somebody who is not dressed.

Now you know !

No naked light !!