FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE - RANDOM 5 FRIDAY

1. On Monday I had the blues. It was the first day at home after my one week holidays in the sunshine of Tunisia. I just did nothing except my aqua gym class, and found that I had done enough for the day.



I didn't even unpack my suitcase much to the delight of Rosie who had one more day to sleep in it, while Arthur played with my beach slippers.

As we had a breakdown of our internet, I finally decided to sort out my holiday pictures and put them in order, at least I had the impression to be there again.

2. Looking in the mirror and saw a mop like head, I called my hairdresser for an appointment, before I got back to civilization outside our house. Then I could make my weekly shopping and say hello to my friend Nicole.

3. Brussels was blocked by the visit of Mr. Obama ! The streets were closed in many places and  trams, buses and even the subways were not allowed to run. Although the city was quite proud to receive such an important visitor for the first time, the companies, shops, stores etc were not so happy. Nobody could get through.


They block all the roads, and I am only arriving by helicopter ?!

In reality he arrived in the evening with his special airplane Air force one and its twin. The planes were escorted by 2 helicopters of the marines, 5 helicopters of the army, 3 airplanes carrying "the Beast" and two other armoured  cadillacs. 45 patrol cars escorted the convey. 900 employes worked on the organization, 300 security agents were posted all around and snipers were on the roofs. This less then 24 h visit has cost Brussels 500.000 € (689.000 $) and 10.millions € (1.4 millions $) for the USA (according to the British Newspaper "The Guardian) !

Quite an expensive excursion for only one man.



He was greeted by our King and the Prime Minister, and the next day went to the military cemetary in Waregem, called  "The Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial". It is the smallest World War I American cemetery in Europe and the only one in Belgium.

Although the American president is very much appreciated in Belgium, people found these security measures a little too much !

 4. My friend Ilona had her birthday so I went to give her my birthday present. I had bought her a USB stick so that she can do back ups. She just had bought a new computer and had lost all her photos and documents which were in the old one. Fortunately I had almost all photos of her paintings, as it's always me who takes the pictures, which she regretted the most but also from our trips together, which I had put on the stick. Ilona and I have the same age both born in 1943 she is only 4 months older.


Here we are in Edinburgh together

5. Nature has changed in the one week I was gone ! The trees are starting to become green again



I have put some red (fake) flowers at the entrance and the Magnolia tree of my neighbor is in full bloom.



For the first time this year Oscar the lawn mower robot had to work, while Mr. G. and I were busy on our computers ! What a difference ! Two weeks ago we had to mow the lawn with our "normal" lawn mower and for our handkerchief sized lawn we needed two days, the grass had grown so fast and it had rained all the time so that it was wet like a sponge and too high for Oscar.

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