FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

1. The passing away of my English friend had made me so absent minded, that when I arrived at my aqua gym, I noticed with horror



that I had put on two different shoes. I had been so busy to check that the house and windows were closed, that I didn't realize. Usually Mr. G. takes care of that, but he is on holidays to visit his sister in Italy.

2. Once again the Waterloo city had organized a very nice trip for its seniors, this time to Thuin, a little town in Belgian Walloon.



We visited a tram museum, the hanging gardens of Thuin, a castle and a Distillery where we also had our lunch. We had all a lot of fun !



The lunch too was very good, we got an artisanal paté, as starter, followed by chicken with mushrooms and an ice soufflé together with white and red wine, and a coffee. Fortunately we didn't have to walk during our tram ride, because we all were full !

3. As Mr. G is away, I don't have to cook and instead went with a friend for lunch in the "Asian Garden".

4. My cat Pookie who approaches her 17th birthday, made me mad with her meowing the whole day. So I went to the Vet with her and now I have an appointment for taking out the last teeth. Apparently the meowing is normal with old cats because otherwise she is in good health.  I got some homeopathic pills for her to calm her down ! I hope it works !

5. After my painting class, I moved my "office" outside on the terrace. The weather was wonderful and I felt almost on holidays.



Dominique saw me over the hedge and came over for a cup of coffee.

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CHECKMATE !

Letter : C

My father never played with me when I was a little girl, at least I can't remember. He always sat there with his Newspaper in front of his nose and glanced from time to time to see what I was doing.

As soon as I was old enough he taught me chess. I learned rather quickly and then we would play together.

I am a spontaneous player and don't think very long which figure I have to move, while he was thinking and thinking about the next move.

So while I did my move in no time, he sat there and calculated and calculated. Finally I got bored and took a book and read while he was still pondering about the next move. The fact that I was reading bothered him very much and he got angry and told me to think harder ! I didn't want to think hard, I moved my figure just like that like a professional gambler.

The worst was that I mostly won, and that he didn't like at all. He was a very bad looser and got angry. He told me that I can't play and that I am not serious at all. I didn't care, I let him think, read my book and so it continued.

When I won too many times he got fed up and didn't want to play anymore. Good for me, because I started to find this game rather boring at least with a partner like that !

Now it's a long time I haven't played chess anymore, but it's still a game I like.




No way !

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

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RE-ENACTMENT OF THE WATERLOO BATTLE

The huge re-enactment events to commemorate the Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo will take place on June 19 and 20. 6000 soldiers arriving from the whole world, 300 horses and 200 canons will participate..... read more here

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WEEKEND REVIEW MAY 30

I spent a sad weekend. On Friday morning I had a phone call from my friend Ann's husband, telling me that she had passed away on Thursday evening. I just couldn't believe it ! I had talked to her a couple of days before and she was so cheerful and normal as usual. I felt as if somebody had hit me with a hammer on my head !

We knew each other for a very long time when in 1995 she slipped on the tiles at the swimming pool in Tenerife and landed on my lap. It turned out that she came from London and by pure coincidence lived very close to my son's house. From there on we saw each other each time I went to London to visit my son several times we spent Christmas and New Year together. After her retirement they moved to Eastbourne at the English south east coast and in 2007 I spent for the first time my holidays with them in their new home. From there on in August I always spent 10 days with her and her husband.

They should be coming now beginning July to stay with us for the second time and we had made plans. And now this. She was only 67 and died so suddenly of an inner bleeding.



Such happy times !

I went to Ilona to share with her my grief.

On Sunday the weather was according to my mood, grey, rainy and cold. Mr. G. was in travel fever (already the whole week) because he wanted to visit his sister in Italy. In order to have my peace I packed his suitcase but he was like an electric battery, I am sure if I would have put a plug in his arm, a light would go on !

Finally the time arrived to drive him to the airport, which I did and then I returned home watched some TV and did Computer work. For 10 days I will be the sad cheerful widow and only my cats can bother me !


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