FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE - FIVE ON FRIDAY

1. Our weather up and downs continue and the week started hot ! The only thing I did was driving to a store and buy two garden chairs, as my son had broken one and I the other. They were on special price and really cheap and when I came home Mr. G. asked me why I hadn't taken 3. I told him that there was only one left, so he took his car and off he went and got the last one.

The rest of the day I spent sitting on the new chair and working on my computer.

2.


The next morning I found a squatter in the new chair, fortunately I had left a scarf on the cushion, because Rosie had used it as bed over night and was still asleep when I discovered her.

3. Our gardener had come despite the heat and trimmed the scrubs and hedges, apparently it didn't disturb him at all. Now our garden looks clean again. I was sitting there and didn't move besides my fingers on the keyboard.

4. As each year I wanted to go to Egypt to the Red Sea for two weeks, and two of my friends too. The winter catalogue had come out and Nicole and I decided to make an early booking because we are sure to go. As earlier you book as better are the prices. I had to change my clothes 3 times. In the morning it was very warm. A  light T-Shirt was OK. Then it cooled down for no apparent reason and I had to put on a long sleeved pullover, two hours later when I wanted to join Nicole at the travel agency it was so hot that I had to change again into a summer dress ! That's crazy,
 
We booked our two weeks for the 29th of November were happy about all the reductions we got and went out to celebrate that with a drink in a nearby café.

5. It was my turn to receive our scrabble group.



We could play outside, and had a lot of fun as usual. Cat Arthur was happy to have so many ladies around him, he is very social. And when we had cake with whipped cream, he loved us even more !

I lost, Mireille who just plays here on the picture,  has always to bend over to see better, because she is half blind but she always wins !! She is such a courageous woman that sometimes we forget to help her and guide her, she never complains and tries to make the best out of her situation.

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

Fast Blog

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE

Seen in Killarny (Ireland)

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1. Growing up, were you close to your grandparents? Tell us one or two specific things you remember about them.

I was more than close to my grandparents, I lived with them until the age of 6, when my parents took me back because I had to go to school.  My grandma was and is an example to me, the way she was, we were very close and my grandpa took me in the woods and explained nature to me, and built toys for me. My father never played with me.

2. What's an item you were attached to as a child? What happened to it?

Can't remember anything I was attached to as a child.  Nothing.

3. When you look out your window, do you see the forest or the trees (literally and figuratively)? Explain.

That question makes me laugh. When I look out of my window I see my neighbour's house and her hedge, a weeping willow and the street. But on the other side I used to have views on fields, now there are houses too. Figuratively I see nothing only the truth.

4. Do you like sour candies? Which of the 'sour' foods listed below would you say is your favorite?

grapefruit, Greek yogurt, tart cherries, lemons, limes, sauerkraut, buttermilk, or kumquats

Have you ever eaten a kumquat? What's your favorite dish containing one of the sour foods on the list?

I don't like candies in general. But all the food listed I like, I probably have eaten kumquat, but I don't know exactly. My favourite food would be sauerkraut. 

5. July 1st marked the mid point of 2017. In fifteen words or less, tell us how it's going so far.

So far I can't complain, decent weather, some holidays,  no serious diseases in the family

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I have a decision to take ! Do I join a walker group or not. I am rather lazy just to walk through the world only for walking, but I like walking and take pictures and look around me. This is probably due to my childhood where I had to walk with my parents each Sunday because it was healthy to walk. It was so boring ! Now in Ireland where I had to walk quiet a bit to join the others and not always be the last one, I walked and the next day I felt it in my legs.  I think I will give it a try, apparently the group is so nice according to my friend Nicole who is already member. 

From this side of the pond

DERRY OR LONDONDERRY

The names of the city and county of Derry or Londonderry in Northern Ireland are still the subject of a naming dispute between Irish nationalists (mostly Catholics) and unionists (mostly protestants). Generally, nationalists favour using the name Derry, and unionists using Londonderry. Legally, the city's name is Derry. But apparently the dispute about the name is still not finished because both names are used. To me it always had been Londonderry as the UK calls it and now I learned something new, but it is still confusing, even Wikipedia is not sure, if you ask for Londonderry, you get "Derry". Read more here

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WEEKEND NEWS AND MEMES

At this time last week I was sitting in the airport in Dublin and waited for my flight. Now I am home and it seems to me that my holidays were 20 years ago !



I took these pictures out of the airplane window and I think nowhere else in the world you can find these charming patchwork landscapes like in Ireland and England.



I had also been in a fairy village, but not for long because we all realized that it was for children.



I am proud of myself, I don't fear horses anymore ! I even petted this one. That's new for me a couple of years ago I wouldn't have approached a horse !

We were invited Saturday afternoon and our friend served us a gooseberry cake, which was delicious and I hadn't eaten gooseberries for years ! Our friend wanted to see a few pictures from Ireland which I did. We had a nice afternoon.

Sunday there was a special event at our Waterloo Lion's battle field (with the Irish accent "bottle field") volunteers carried handicapped people who were unable to walk and climb the 253 steps to the Lion. It was a hard job



but they managed it. Unfortunately I couldn't take any pictures it was too far away from the entrance. I think that was really nice to organize such a thing, the view over the fields is very beautiful.

It was a rather quiet weekend.

For Macro Monday



I have this flower photo which I took in a park in Ireland.



and for Mellow Yellow this nice Irish Pub

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