FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

The week started with me looking for a new computer as my 5 year old HP gave up its soul on Sunday ! I had read about recycled computers and thought that would be a good idea, because they are completely new, but can't be sold in a store because the outside is damaged with scratches or other "beauty" defaults. I don't care about a scratch as long as the computer works correctly and has all what I need. On a scratch I can still put a cat sticker. I found the right computer to a rather cheap price on an ad, but before I ordered it, I went to a second hand shop and was I lucky ! I found exactly what I wanted looking completely new and half price of the original price ! And it works !!




Rosie supervised me when I installed all my stuff, which I had saved by coincidence the day before ! I didn't know that my computer would break down ! Now I have a Packard Bell. But I think all computers are more or less the same. It also has window 10 and a lot of other functions as my HP

Our scrabble was not in Waterloo but at Ilona's who lives 15 km far. I took my car, because it would have been stupid to take 4 cars and I was the one who knew the way the best, as I had been so often there,



She had baked a poppy cake which was delicious and which is well known in Germany and Hungaria ! The others didn't know it at all, I knew it from my Grandma and mother. Years ago we had to go to Germany to buy the poppy seed because it didn't exist in Belgium. Now of course you find it also here.

I don't see very well or honestly nearly nothing when it's dark and had always avoided to drive in the evenings. In winter it reduced my time a lot. Then I found on Internet an ad of glasses to wear for those who are night blind like me. As they cost only 15 € I thought I try them out, maybe it helps.


I ordered  and it lasted 6 weeks until they arrived ! I tried them out and they were perfect ! I could see !! It was just wonderful. My friends who saw me driving in the dark as if the sun was shining, wanted them too so I ordered four more for them.

This time it took a little less to arrive but meanwhile I had seen that they came from China over Las Vegas to Belgium !! Probably they were thoroughly checked at the American border as Trump has twittered against China like a sparrow against a cat, and thought these are glasses for spies !

I had brought the glasses with me and gave them to my friends. When we returned we were all



wearing these dark glasses and hoped to be arrested by the police ! Imagine four vintage ladies with dark glasses in a car ... doesn't that look suspicious ?? Unfortunately we weren't checked and as meanwhile it was dark we weren't even admired by people walking by.

Of course we had a lot of fun and laughed, we just imagined if it would have happened.

Our painting class was rather empty most of the girls stayed home, because the snow had melted but the ground was still frozen and the small streets were slippery and dangerous. In my part of the town the snow was gone on the street, so I had no difficulties.

And while painting, we talked about perfect murders (because of the glasses) and it was amazing what fantasy we all developed ! I hope that nobody has recorded our conversation.

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

and linking to Five Minutes Friday by Linda G.Hill.

COMPUTER BROKE DOWN

I wanted to write a nice post for the last day of January, but on Sunday evening my computer gave up it's soul !

I just could save my pictures and documents and then it died !

My little travel computer is OK for short texts, otherwise the screen is too small and my eyes burnt after my post below.

Now I have a new one, but I have to install everything which takes time.



Rosie tries to help me and cheer me up !

Rules

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - LOST TEETH

more participants here
and Image-in-ing



I found these pictures of my grandson when my computer broke down and I could safe my pictures in the last minute. Of course these photos were taken in July 3 years ago, but they brought back memories of my childhood when I lost my teeth !





His face looks like mine at this age only the female version of course. Unfortunately I have no pictures of myself as it I must have lost my teeth in 1949 or 50 and at that time parents hadn't time or cameras to take pictures of their children. It was just 4 years after the war and most of the cities had to be reconstructed;

In my school which was a kind of metal container as the school was badly damaged by the bombing of Bonn in Germany where I lived with my parents at that time. We were 80 in one class and were 3 on one bench for two, because there were not enough benches. But all that didn't matter for us children when one girl's tooth started to waggle we all were very interested and observed it every day. I was a bit jaleous because my teeth were still fix and didn't move at all. We got a lot of advices how to pull out the waggling tooth, wrapping a thread around the tooth and the other end around the door handle and then slam the door. Of course that didn't work because the thread was to thick or too thin and broke before.

Finally one day the girl arrived with the tooth in her hand very proud to be the first one ! I must have followed shortly later because my front teet started to waggle and I pulled on them and moved them to get them out. And finally I managed ! I can't remember that I have gotten something for my lost tooth, like it is the use here, when a child looses a tooth a little mouse brings something and put it under the pillow.  Now I had a smile like Frankenstein's daughter, but at least the first step was made;

When you are in a vintage age and loose the "second" range of teeth you are not proud at all but rather very upset. The dentist drama starts with taking care of tooth aches, has to drill holes, you suffer like hell and at the end you looses them all, but there is not a third range of teeth growing, this time you have to dig deep in your wallet and pay the dentist for a brand new set of artificial teeth.

Rules

SNOW THE BELGIAN WAY

Snow is something rare in Belgium, but not so in the last 3 years we always had a bit. But as we are not equipped for snow, only few people clean their sidewalks and when it's cleaned it becomes an ice rink due to the humidity, and then everybody walks on the dirty road where a little snow lays along the street.

In the little streets and gardens of Waterloo, snow even only a few cm can be very pretty.



When it starts to snow and the green grass becomes white











I took the pictures out of the different windows of our house because i didn't want to go out, snow is not at all my cup of tea !



And then when it starts to melt, it becomes really dirty ! Not so much in our street or the little streets around but the main streets are a catastrophe. Mountains of dirt and snow are laying besides the roads.



Now it has started to rain again, no snow anymore, but just an awful wet weather



A real inviting day to go out for a walk !



At least we had Myriam's birthday to celebrate which we did forgetting the bad weather and leaving our dirty boots outside and changed shoes ! It had been a very cheerful birthday, now except one we are all in the 70th and two already 80.



and in her garden the snow was still there

more participants here

Rules

STAYING ALIVE

So far I had never to testify at a trial ! I never was a witness to a murder, or a running away terrorists, I only know that from my little crime serie I watch on TV.

Sometimes I have to testify that I am really married to Mr.Black, because on my passport is writen Mrs White, but that's why in some European countries the wife keeps her maiden name from birth on until she dies. That's easy so if you marry 10 times you need no proof that you changed also ten times. On the other hand it's a little strange when a family composed of 4 children, a husband and a wife, the only one who has another name is the wife, because the children usually take their father's name.

Mr. G. had started to work in Italy, which is normal he is Italian, but then he worked some years in Germany, and since 1967 he works in Belgium. The result is that each year he has to go to the local resident's registration office to testify that he is still alive ! Otherwise he wouldn't get his pension from Italy and Germany. Then he has to fill in administrative papers, although nothing has changed from year to year and he still presents himself in person. At least it justifies that the administration works.

I could have signed a circular letter by our neighbors to testify that Mr. G. is still alive even when they don't see him, they can hear him, he has a very loud opera voice and doesn't need a microphone.

The state is so angeous that I could put his pension in my pocked when he has joined the angels or the devil and I could play the "Merry Widow" with his money and therefore needs the paper to testify that he is still alive !

Rules

Jusjojan testify